


Make It Just Right

by ahgasemyname



Category: GOT7, 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Cat Hybrid Choi Youngjae, Cat Hybrid Min Yoongi | Suga, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, Fluff, Light Angst, Lim Jaebeom is a saint, Mentions of past abuse, Producer JaeBeom, Romantic Comedy, Slow Burn, Trust Issues, gamer youngjae
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-21
Updated: 2019-09-18
Packaged: 2020-09-23 04:41:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 32,727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20334232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ahgasemyname/pseuds/ahgasemyname
Summary: Jaebeom has a bad habit of picking up each and every stray cat he comes across, be it full breed or hybrid. This time he finds Yoongi, a damaged, abused, and abandoned hybrid with major trust issues. With a little pleading and a lot of raucous banter, Jaebeom and his resident hybrid, Youngjae manage to coax the skittish Yoongi into coming home with them. Little does he know that the unorthodox pair will completely turn his world upside down.





	1. Something Good

Yoongi had always been a tad on the skittish side so it should have come as no surprise to him when the soft voice calling out to him caused him to jerk violently in place, the hair on his ears and tail standing on end as he curled in on himself. Yet, here he was trembling and panting, wide, brown eyes trained on the man who had called out to him. The man wasn’t anyone who seemed particularly threatening. Very far from it, in fact. If anything, he seemed more harmless than a fly, his head cocked to one side, eyebrows knitted together as he struggled to keep several overflowing grocery bags from tumbling to the ground as he studied the hybrid. Yoongi himself was huddled next to a dumpster, arms wrapped around himself, his thin cotton t-shirt and ripped jeans doing little to stave off the crisp chill of the autumn air. He blinked up at the man, unmoving and he hoped that his lack of response would cause the stranger to continue on his way and leave him be, just as all the others up until this point had done.

“What’s your name?”

To his dismay the man didn’t walk away, instead opting to crouch down in front of the hybrid, a friendly, lopsided grin on his lips as he clutched his groceries to his chest. Yoongi scowled, turning his face away and giving off as much of a disinterested air as he possibly could. 

“Hey, come on. I’m not going to hurt you.”

The man sounded like the one who was hurt, his soft voice cracking slightly as he tried again. 

“My name is Jaebeom.”

The man kept a safe distance from the hybrid, yet showed no sign of moving, the heat of his body radiating slightly into Yoongi’s space. The hybrid bit down on the meat of his lower lip, his stomach rumbling as he puffed out his cheeks and remained silent. The soft chuckle that came moments later pulled him out of his silence, a low groan sounding in response. 

“Well, I take it that you’re hungry.”

Jaebeom’s voice came again, followed by the sound of bags rustling and the metallic clink of a canister being placed on the concrete between them. Yoongi let his eyes fall to rest on the can of mixed nuts that Jaebeom had set down, flitting them up to meet the man’s eyes before looking away again. 

“Youngjae likes these a lot. He’ll be disappointed if they go to waste, so make sure to eat all of them. You need protein to keep up your strength.”

Yoongi huffed, his head nodding slowly to acknowledge the man’s words and he sighed as he heard the man stand and the familiar sound of footsteps fading as the distance between them became greater. He glanced back down at the can of nuts, then up at the retreating back before letting out a whine and reaching out to snatch up the can, clutching it to his chest tightly as he stood.

“Hmmm?”

Jaebeom stopped as he felt something tugging at the back of his jacket. He turned his head slightly, the smile that formed on his lips genuine and beautiful. 

“Changed your mind?”

He grinned at the hybrid who was now standing behind him, one hand tangled in the fabric of his jacket, the other holding the can of nuts protectively, as if it were the only thing he had ever owned. 

“Yoongi..”

The reply was soft, but heard, Jaebeom’s smile becoming comically wider as he turned to fully face the hybrid again.

“Yoongi, huh? That’s a nice name.”

Jaebeom hummed softly and let his eyes take in the hybrid at his full height. He was short and small. He was smaller than his other hybrid, Youngjae, but he was cute. His hair was a soft reddish brown that curled slightly at the temples. His full lips were pouty, but chapped and bitten. He was slim, too slim, and Jaebeom frowned when he realized that the hybrid had probably been mistreated before being abandoned. He let out a harsh sigh, his brows furrowing together cutely as he made a decision.

“It’s getting chilly and you’re not dressed for this weather. I can tell that you’re malnourished and probably need a hot bath. Help me carry these and I’ll make you a nice dinner and give you a place to stay for a while. How’s that sound?”

Jaebeom shifted the bags in his arms as he waited for a reply. 

Yoongi panicked. 

“I-”

Yoogngi shook his head back and forth, tears starting to brim at the corners of his eyes and he released his grip on Jaebeom’s jacket, backing away slowly. He dropped the can of nuts that he had been clutching, his body trembling slightly as he continued to shake his head, his black fluffy ears flattened against his hair. 

“No. No. No. No.”

Jaebeom blinked, surprised by the hybrid’s reaction, and he narrowed his eyes as he went over his words in his mind. He was trying to figure out if he had said something wrong when he saw them. Marks. The hybrid was clawing at his neck, his slim wrist red and irritated from what looked like rope burns. Jaebeom was livid, his vision going red as he bit down on the inside of his cheek, his eyes going wide as he finally saw what the hybrid was scratching at. More marks. Bruises in the shape of someone’s hand. A hand that had wrapped itself around his throat and squeezed, violently. There were more marks, more bruises littering the skin that disappeared beneath the collar of his shirt that were left behind by teeth, the hybrid having been bitten over and over again. He had not only been neglected, but he had been abused. 

Jaebeom let out a shaky exhale, his heart reaching out to the hybrid, but knowing that any sudden movement would likely scare him more than help him. Instead, he opted to shuffle his bags around until he could pull his cell phone out of his back pocket and he dialed the first number he could think of.

\-----

“Hyuuunnnngggg, where are you? I’m hungry.”

Youngjae’s voice came whining through the receiver, Jaebeom suppressing a giggle at how cute he sounded.

“I’m on my way home, Youngjae, but I encountered a problem..”

“A problem? What kind of problem? Are you okay?”

Youngjae sounded genuinely concerned. Jaebeom was not only his owner, but had been his best friend since he was three years old. Jaebeom had been five when his parents first brought Youngjae home as a birthday gift, knowing that being an only child had been lonely for him, despite his friendly disposition and constant reassurance that he was fine. He didn’t need a lot of friends. He was happy with just mama and papa. 

“I’m fine, Youngjae, but.. There’s a hybrid. He was abandoned…”

A sigh.

“Not this again. Jaebeom, you know you can’t pick up every stray off of the street, right? Remember the last one? He damn near destroyed every piece of furniture in the apartment.”

“I know. I know, Youngjae, but.. But this one is different. He..”

Jaebeom’s voice trembled as he spoke, his eyes watering as he watched the hybrid in front of him continue to rub at his neck, his eyes downcast and his body rigid, tail swishing behind his back and Jaebeom feared that he would turn and run at any given moment.

“He was abused, Youngjae. He has so many marks on him… bad ones. I- I can’t just leave him out here, but I don’t think he’ll trust humans right now.”

Another sigh.

“Fine. I get it. I’ll be right there. And Jaebeom?”

“Yeah?”

“You’re a good person. He’ll be okay.”

Click.

Jaebeom slid the phone back into his pocket and kept his eyes trained on the hybrid. He seemed to have calmed down some, but was swaying slightly with hunger, dark eyes staring lifelessly at the discarded can of nuts.

“Yoongi..”

Jaebeom tried gently, biting his lip as the hybrid jerked at the sound of his name.

Yoongi blinked up at him, eyes wide and scared.

“I. I’m sorry. I’ll pick it up.”

Yoongi bent down and snatched up the can of nuts quickly, the hand holding it extended towards Jaebeom. He was shaking slightly, his body still wound tight and eyes downcast as if he were expecting to be reprimanded for dropping the can.

“No. Those are yours now.”

Jaebeom shook his head and shifted on his feet, adjusting the weight of the bags again. He should have brought Youngjae with him. It was a mere five minute walk from their house to the grocery store, but Jaebeom as always had bought way more food than necessary.

Yoongi swallowed when Jaebeom refused to take back the can of nuts and he slowly retracted his arm. He looked at the can for a moment before peeling away the plastic lid and then the foil that sealed it closed. He could smell them instantly, his mouth watering and he looked up at Jaebeom one more time for confirmation that he was actually allowed to have them.

Jaebeom nodded slowly, an ache in his chest forming at the idea that such an innocent creature felt that he had to ask permission to eat. He watched quietly as the hybrid shook some of the nuts into his hand and then stuffed them into his mouth, humming a noise of satisfaction as he chewed. He smiled softly to himself, happy that the hybrid hadn’t run, but still unsure if he trusted him.

“Hyung!”

Youngjae’s voice broke the silence, the hybrid jolting at the noise and Jaebeom letting out a huff.

“Took you long enough.”

Jaebeom teased, turning his head to look at a panting, out of breath Youngjae.

“I ran all the way here! I wasn’t even dressed when you called. Give me a break.”

Youngjae argued, playfully slapping Jaebeom on the shoulder and letting out a laugh.

Yoongi squinted at the pair, his eyes darting from the man to the hybrid that had just joined them and he waited with bated breath for the repercussions of hitting what Yoongi assumed to be the hybrid’s owner to come.

“Aish. You brat. Do you want me to dump all of this food on the ground? Because that’s what’s going to happen if you keep hitting me. And why were you still in your pajamas at this time of day? Were you up all night playing that game again?”

Jaebeom scolded.

“Hyuuuunnngg. You know I have a tournament soon. I have to practice!”

Youngjae whined, leaning his full weight onto Jaebeom’s back and causing the other man to stumble forward slightly.

“Yah! Youngjae, seriously.”

Jaebeom muttered, shaking his head and catching the gaze of the other hybrid out of the corner of his eye.

“Ah, yeah. Youngjae, this is why I called you.”

Jaebeom nodded his head towards Yoongi who tilted his head to the side, ears twitching and legs ready to bolt if necessary.

“Ah. I almost forgot.”

Youngjae laughed again, leaning away from Jaebeom and stepping around him to face the other hybrid. He studied him for a moment, a frown on his lips as he took in his disheveled appearance. His air was mussed a bit, clothing much too big and much too thin, and the marks. There were so many of them. Youngjae could see why Jaebeom was so adamant about bringing this one home. He would take in every single stray that crossed his path if it were up to him, but Youngjae was often the voice of reason, coaxing him into calling the shelter or escorting them there if he felt it necessary when they seemed like too much to handle. This one, however, seemed to need special care, and a shelter was not a place that could provide that.

“Hello, I’m Youngjae. What’s your name?”

Youngjae asked him cheerfully, the smile plastered on his face again.

Yoongi stared at the hybrid in silence, taking in the way he stood in front of his master without fear of being hit or reprimanded. He looked clean, well fed, if his chubby cheeks said anything about it, and he seemed: happy. His jet black hair was a little too long and it fell into his eyes, his white ears and tail were standing straight up and the fur wasn’t matted, his shirt and pants weren’t full of holes, and his jacket looked warm. He looked warm. Yoongi swallowed, eyes darting to look at Jaebeom one more time before falling back on the one who called himself Youngjae.

“Yoongi.”

He whispered softly, still unsure of how to feel about the two men standing before him, seemingly offering him a life much different than the one he had known thus far.

“Well, Yoongi. Jaebeom says that you need some place to stay and while I keep telling him that it isn’t his place to take in every single stray he comes across… I have to agree with him that you need a little looking after. It just so happens that we have a spare bedroom that would be quite to your liking, I think.”

Youngjae smiled widely at Yoongi now, hoping that his cheerful tone and choice of words would inspire the other hybrid into wanting to come with them.

“But- You already live there.”

Yoongi mumbled, knowing full well what it was like to live in a house with multiple hybrids. From his experience, it was always a rat race to who ate first, who bathed first, who got the newest clothes, if any at all.

Youngjae cocked his head to the side, one eyebrow raised at the way the other seemed to be bothered by the fact that Youngjae already lived in Jaebeom’s residence.

“Yeah, I do. I don’t see why that matters, though?”

Jaebeom was just as confused as Youngjae, eyes flitting back and forth between the two of them as if the answer would just manifest itself out of thin air if he looked hard enough.

“Is there a reason you don’t seem to want to live with another hybrid? Did they hurt you where you lived before?”

Youngjae asked gently, wondering if the marks had been caused by others like themselves, rather than humans.

“No. I just-”

Yoongi shook his head, trying to find the words to explain.

“When there were others before, sometimes we didn’t all get to eat…”

Yoongi mumbled softly, not wanting to offend the pair offering up their home.

“Ah.”

Jaebeom was the one to reply this time, his deep voice soft and assuring.

“You won’t have to worry about that with us. While Youngjae here is a pig, he works for his share just as much as I do. I mean-”

Jaebeom stumbled over his words when the other male went rigid again, his choice of words seeming to upset him.

“What he means is, we both have jobs so we don’t really have to worry about not having enough food for everyone. You included. We don’t expect you to go and get a job right away with the state that you’re in. As long as you help out around the house, and keep it clean, then there’s no problem, right Jaebeom?”

Youngjae offered, turning to glance back at the man behind him.

“Right. You can worry about getting back on your feet and working once you’re in better shape. Youngjae here is actually a professional gamer, so when he says he has a job, he means that. He doesn’t even leave the house except when he has to go to tournaments, but he’s really good at his games. He usually wins a lot of money. I work as a music producer, so I have to go out fairly often, but Youngjae will most likely be there if you need anything. Would you- Would you like to stay with us for a while?”

Jaebeom explained their current situation, the question at the end posed gently, in hopes that the other would see how sincere they were. He hoped that he would see that Youngae lived his life as freely as Jaebeom did, and that Yoongi would be no exception.

Yoongi stared at the man quietly, his mind running over the possibilities. Part of his mind told him that it could be a trap. They all seem nice at the beginning, but there was another part of him that felt that these two men were genuinely kind. Most people would have walked away and left him alone after the way he reacted to being asked to go home with them. Or they would have forced him to come with them anyway. This man, however, had given him the chance to walk away. When he had hesitated to do so, the man had brought out someone else to reassure him that everything would be okay, despite the fact that he had been juggling multiple bags of groceries the entire time. He looked at Youngjae, the other hybrid looking hopeful. He let out a soft chuckle before he nodded his head slowly and spoke with a slight tremble to his voice.

“Yeah, I think I would like that.”

\-----

The walk home was fairly silent. Jabeom had handed off some of his bags to Youngjae and Yoongi, making it much easier on himself. He had also taken off his jacket and wrapped it around the newest addition to their home. He chuckled at the way the shoulders sagged and the sleeves covered his hands. It was much too big for him and made him look even smaller, but Jaebeom thought it was rather cute. He smiled warmly at the two of them as he walked towards their house, Yoongi sandwiched in between himself and Youngjae. Their neighborhood was a nice one, with red brick houses, picket fences, and perfectly sectioned sidewalks. He nodded his head towards one particular red brick house with a porch, complete with a swing and potted plants as they neared it. He stopped at the end of the walkway that lead up to the house, smiling warmly at Yoongi.

“Welcome home.”

Yoongi’s eyes went wide at the sight of the house. It was quite large and the yard was well kept, a small flower garden wrapping around the front and sides, the grass neatly trimmed, and not a weed in sight. He spotted movement on the porch swing, a soft thump following as they walked up the path to the house. He was greeted with a curious mewl, a small Siamese cat blinking up at him as she settled on the top step. Her head bowed and a low purr rumbled in her tiny chest as Jaebeom bent to scratch the top of her head in passing.

“This is Nora. The others are inside, I hope. Youngjae, I told you to be careful when you leave so that the cats don’t get out. Nora is fine. She won’t wander off, but do you want a repeat of last time, when Odd got stuck in that tree down the road?”

Jaebeom scolded softly, no real venom in his words, just concern.

“Ah, sorry Jaebeomie. I hadn’t noticed that she slipped out. I was in a rush to come help with…”

Youngjae nodded towards Yoongi, who shrank in on himself slightly. He felt somewhat responsible for the cat getting outside, since he was the reason Youngjae had left the house in such a rush.

“Sorry..”

Yoongi mumbled softly, eyes downcast and staring at nothing in particular.

“Don’t worry about it. Nora won’t go anywhere. She’s been here for long enough to know that no one else compares to her dad. Isn’t that right, girl?”

Jaebeom cooed as the cat bumped her head on his shin, purring as she swooped between his legs and back around again. The look on his face was quite fond, like a proud parent, and he sighed wistfully.

“There are two more inside, Kunta and Odd. They’re a bit more rambunctious than Nora, though, so watch out. They will probably go straight for your ankles.”

Jaebeom warned as he dug in his pocket to pull out his keys. He flung open the screen door and unlocked the large white oak one behind it, pushing it open and stepping aside to let the other two enter first.

Yoongi stepped into the foyer, his eyes roaming over the shoe rack that was situated next to a small table that housed piles of opened and unopened mail. He left them drift down the hall and into the shared living area. His body jolted a bit as Youngjae nudged him from behind and Nora darted between his feet to settle wherever she pleased inside the house.

“Well, go on. You can head inside. Don’t worry about your shoes for right now. You can take them off after we get these bags set down.”

The other hybrid urged him to walk forward, his steps slow and nervous as he padded from the entryway and into the wide open space that gave way to a comfortable looking living room and a grand kitchen set up. He shuffled his feet towards the disconnected island style stainless steel countertop, placing the bags he was carrying onto it and waited for further instructions.

“Take your shoes off and make yourself at home. You can throw them on the rack that you saw back by the door. We have cable and Netflix. Watch whatever you like. Youngjae and I will take care of putting everything away for now and get dinner started.”

Jaebeom cut through Yoongi’s thoughts loudly, a wide smile on his face, as he nodded towards the giant black leather couch and massive wide screen television display. He had seen things like this with previous owners, but had never been allowed to use them freely. He nodded his head and quickly shuffled back down the hall to take off his shoes. He could hear the soft chatter coming from the kitchen as he made his way back into the shared living space. He glanced at the two who were now putting away the groceries they had all carried home together, before making his way to the couch and plopping down on it. 

He let out a contented sigh as he melted into the leather, the warmth of the room sinking into his chilled bones. His eyes wandered around the room, taking in the small bits and pieces of both men that had been living in this house. There was a glass case in one corner, filled with medals and trophies, proof of Youngjae’s skill at gaming. In the adjacent corner, there was another glass case. This one housed less trophies, but they showcased the awards that Jaebeom’s music had finally begun to win in the past year. There was a fireplace to the left, framed photos of what he assumed to be Jaebeom’s parents and colleagues littered across the top. The walls held a spattering of posters, some that were clearly Youngjae’s and others that screamed Jaebeom even to someone such as himself that had only just met the pair. 

“Fuck!”

Yoongi turned in his seat as he heard a clatter, followed by a shout. His eyes moved from Youngjae to Jaebeom and then to the floor where a metal can was rolling haphazardly towards him. Jaebeom cursed again under his breath, lifting his leg and cradling his foot in one hand as Youngjae looked at him sympathetically, but was clearly holding back his laughter.

“Go sit down, Jaebeomie. I’ll handle the rest.”

Younjgae pushed at his shoulder, urging the other man to join Yoongi on the couch. He pulled open the freezer to grab an ice pack which he handed to Jaebeom and nudged him again.

“Gooooo.”

Youngjae prodded, eyes narrowed and hands on his hips as he watched Jaebeom hobble his way into the living room. He shook his head and went back to putting away the groceries.

“Looks like I’m joining you in exile.”

Jaebeom joked as he neared the couch, rounding it and plopping himself down a safe distance from the hybrid. He sighed and lifted his leg up, resting his heel on the glass coffee table in front of them. He leaned forward to peel off his sock with a groan. His two middle toes were purple and swollen, the impact from the can bruising, but not breaking anything. He grumbled as he settled the ice pack on top of his foot, hissing at the cold sensation on his bare skin, and he leaned back into the couch to relax.

“So, what do you think?”

Jaebeom asked softly, his head turned to take in the hybrid sitting next to him. He let himself fully take in the state of the other male, dark orbs roaming from head to toe and humming softly. He was too thin, but that would change soon enough. Neither Youngjae nor Jaebeom were picky eaters, nor had small appetites. His hair and skin were oily, but nothing a good shower wouldn’t fix. Overall, he felt that the hybrid was quite attractive, even in his current state. With some proper self care and gentle pressure he would be back to bright eyed and bushy tailed in no time.

“It’s nice.”

Yoongi replied just as softly, smiling weakly at the man who had brought him into his home. He was thankful, but still cautious. He was afraid to overstep his boundaries or say something the other man didn’t like. It  _ was  _ nice, in actuality. He hadn’t been lying when he’d spoken the words, but he could have elaborated a bit more.

“It’s warm.”

He added, glad to be out of the harsh winds that swept their city as winter threatened to roll in sooner than later. He wasn’t sure he would have made it through ‘til the following year if he hadn’t been offered shelter by the two men who lived here. 

“I should hope so. Youngjae likes to wander around in his underwear, even in the winter, so we have to keep the heat on. You should see the gas bill.”

Jaebeom teased, throwing a peace sign up as Youngjae shouted his protest from the kitchen. 

“His underwear?”

Yoongi gaped, looking back and forth between the two of them.

“I usually have a shirt on, too! Jaebeomie, don’t scare the poor man. He just got here. You’re the one who sleeps naked. You’ve blinded me by wandering into the kitchen for a midnight snack completely bare assed, so don’t even start about anyone else’s state of undress in this household!”

Youngjae shot back, shaking a cup of instant noodles in Jaebeom’s direction threateningly.

“Well, then maybe you shouldn’t be sitting in the living room, playing games on your laptop in the middle of the night. You have a custom built computer for that.  _ In. Your. Room _ .” 

Jaebeom countered.

“But the quarter finals for the world championship were on and I had to watch them.”

Youngjae argued back, stalking to lean on the island.

“You have two monitors, Youngjae. You also have a very nice, very large television, that you just  _ had _ to have, in your room, that’s very capable of streaming your precious video game championships.”

Jaebeom rolled his eyes without even looking at the other male, his features twisted into a mixture of amusement and annoyance as he bickered with Youngjae.

“It’s not the sammmmmeeeee. I don’t have surround sound in my room.”

Youngjae whined, flinging his upper body across the cool steel countertop and glaring at the back of Jaebeom’s head with his eyes narrowed menacingly. 

Yoongi raised one eyebrow, glancing at Jaebeom before he looked at Youngjae, and then back at Jaebeom again.

“Don’t worry. It’s always like this. He’s a drama queen.”

Jaebeom explained, followed by a loud huff that came from the kitchen.

“Make your own dinner, you jerk!”

Youngjae shouted, a pout formed on his lips as he peeled himself off of the countertop, and tossed the cup of instant noodles at the back of Jaebeom’s head. He then stomped out of the kitchen, and disappeared down the hall. 

Yoongi could hear the footsteps that thundered up the stairs, Jaebeom rolling his eyes and letting out along sigh.

“He’ll get over it. He just gets moody when he’s hungry. He will be back down those stairs as soon as he smells food. Speaking of, now that he ran upstairs, and I probably shouldn’t be standing on these..”

Jaebeom gestured to his injured toes.

“Maybe we should order in.”

He finished.

“I can cook.”

Yoongi supplied quickly, barely waiting for Jaebeom to finish speaking before throwing out the offer.

“I mean, I know how to… so I can make dinner, if you want. You just bought all of these groceries, so you shouldn’t let them go to waste by ordering out. Not that you’re wasteful! I just meant tha-”

“Yoongi.”

Jaebeom cut off the rambling hybrid, a smile plastered to his lips.

“I would like that very much. It would be very helpful. Thank you.”

Jaebeom noticed the way the hybrid visibly relaxed, his body language giving off a much less fearful vibe than he had when he started rambling on. He frowned for a moment as he turned his gaze to his foot, grumbling to himself and turning back to Yoongi.

“I hate to ask this of you, but could you give me a hand?”

Jaebeom nodded towards his injured foot and laughed when the other male jumped to his feet. Yoongi offered up both of his hands for Jaebeom to take hold of and he pulled himself to his feet easily.

“I feel like an old man…”

Jaebeom muttered, more to himself than to Yoongi, but his heart warmed when he heard the small laugh that followed his words.

“Alright, just let me lean on you a little bit until we get to the island. Then I can sit down and direct you where to find everything that you’ll need.”

The pair was a bit comical if anyone would ask. The taller, wider man was leaning on the smaller, shorter man as he hobbled his way back into the kitchen. Jaebeom angled himself when he reached the island, sliding onto an empty stool. He smiled up at the hybrid who stayed close by, shifting from foot to foot. He hadn’t actually needed help getting to the kitchen. He could manage just fine on his own, but the look of defeat and helplessness that seemed to settle over the hybrid’s face when he thought no one was looking broke his heart. He had wanted to give him a reason to feel needed in their home, even if it was just juggling Jaebeom’s weight as they stumbled the few feet it took to arrive in the kitchen.

“What were you planning on making?”

Yoongi asked after a moment of silence, wanting to stick to the original plan as much as possible and not disrupt their day any more than he had already.

“Beef and vegetable stir fry. You don’t have to make that if you’re not comfortable with it. We use all fresh ingredients when we can, so you’ll have to cut up the peppers and onions.”

Jaebeom offered a way out again, doing his best to make sure the other wasn’t feeling pressured into doing something he was not confident in doing.

“I like beef and vegetable stir fry. Fresh vegetables are always the best.”

Yoongi smiled softly and walked around the counter towards the fridge. He had watched them putting away groceries for a few minutes and even if he hadn’t it was just common sense that the vegetables would be likely found in the bottom drawer. He was happy to find that he was correct and he carefully procured one large red pepper, one large green pepper, and one medium sized onion. Glancing around he spotted a package of freshly cut beef, but left it where it lay, making a mental note of it’s placement inside of the fridge for later. The vegetables would need to be tended to first. He turned back to Jaebeom, moving to set the vegetables on the countertop and he tilted his head in question.

“Where are the…”

“Ah. Yes. Behind you. Knife rack is right there, beside the fridge, and the cutting board is in the drawer just below it.”

Jaebeom answered before he had time to finish his thought, nodding his head and shuffling around the kitchen until he found what he was looking for. He placed the items down, then picked up the vegetables to rinse them in the sink properly before he began the meal preparations. After making sure that they were free of debris, he returned them to their place on the countertop. He reached overhead for a skillet that he placed on a burner and turned on the stove. It wouldn’t take long to cut the vegetables. He had had plenty of practice, but his nerves got the better of him and within the first few slices he caught his finger, pulling it back and hissing in pain.

“Let me see that.”

Jaebeom had been watching him silently, smiling at the way the other male seemed to make himself at home in his kitchen. He hadn’t needed to give him too much instruction, just simple directions on where to find things that weren’t out in the open. He had lost himself in watching the other, his slender fingers gliding easily along the flesh of the pepper he was currently slicing, but was pulled out of his reverie when the other male let out a pained noise.

Yoongi was stock still, any words of protest died on his tongue as he swallowed thickly and stared at Jaebeom with wide eyes. He had grabbed the hybrid’s wrist without a second thought, pulling his hand to his face to inspect the small cut. He then popped the bleeding digit into his mouth. His lips were warm and his tongue was soft as it gently lapped at the wound. Yoongi shuddered when he felt it, a soft noise breaking free from his tightly pursed lips, and it seemed to startle Jaebeom back into the real world. 

“I’m sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking…”

Jaebeom started, quickly dropping the hybrid’s wrist and wiping at his mouth with the back of his hand. He hadn’t thought at all, honestly. He had just heard the pained noise, saw the cut, and acted on instinct. It was common practice in his home for his mother to tend to small wounds in that manner, often finding himself repeating the same actions on Youngjae and vice versa. He hadn’t stopped to think that this wasn’t Youngjae. That is wasn’t someone who might not be okay with it.

“It’s okay.”

Yoongi forced out softly, still shocked at the action, but already missing the warmth of Jaebeom’s lips on his skin. He steeled himself and smiled at the other male, lifting his hand up and taking a look at it himself.

“I think I probably need a Bandaid, though.”

He mused, raising one eyebrow at Jaebeom in hopes that the other would direct him to where he would find one.

“Oh! Yes. They’re in the medicine cabinet in the bathroom. Just go down the hall Youngjae stormed off into earlier and it will be on your right. There should be some disinfectant in there, as well.”

Jaebeom supplied, smiling as the other nodded and headed off in the direction of the bathroom. His smile fell as soon as the other was out of sight, one hand coming to rub at his face and he let out a groan.

“What in the hell was that, Jaebeom? Stupid. He’s not going to want to stick around if you keep doing shit like that. He’s not Youngjae.”

He berated himself vocally, eyebrows knitted together as he sighed again. He leaned back in his chair, waiting for the other to return in silence.

As Yoongi entered the bathroom and closed the door behind him, he let out a breath he hadn’t known he was holding. He turned and gripped the sink with shaky hands, his eyes coming to the mirror to look at himself. He scowled at what he saw. He was a wreck. His appearance was less than appealing. He looked disheveled and homeless. His hair was a mess and his skin was dry, but oily at the same time. His clothes looked like something one would dig out of a dumpster and yet here he was, standing in a very spacious, very nice looking bathroom; in a very lovely home. 

He shook his head as he let out another shaky breath, reminding himself that he was invited here. He was allowed to be here. He was…  _ wanted? _ He steadied himself and let go of the counter, glancing down at the wound on his finger and he could feel his heart rate speed up as he recalled the way the other male had reacted to his injuring himself. The sensation of Jaebeom’s lips on his skin made it tingle, his eyes closing for a moment to reorient himself. He eased the door of the medicine cabinet open to properly take care of the wound before he got too deep inside his own head again. 

He washed his hands in the sink, cringing at the sight of pink that swirled in the water as his own blood trickled down the drain, something he had seen far too often. This time, however, it was by his own hand, and an accident. Once they were clean, he carefully toweled them off and applied some disinfectant cream and a Bandaid before putting the items back in their rightful place. He looked at himself one more time in the mirror, sucking in a deep breath, and steeling himself for whatever was to come when he went back into the kitchen.

He took his time walking back down the hall, his eyes wandering over the bits and pieces of Jaebeom that also littered these walls and he smiled to himself unwittingly. He could see how this place was loved and that the people who lived here took great care of it. He could hear the sound of voices wafting from the kitchen as he neared, taking in the sight of Younjgae standing in his place at the countertop. Youngjae was easily slicing away at the onion he had gotten out of the fridge. He had already finished with the first pepper and made his way through the second to start on the onion in the time that it had taken Yoongi to tend to his wound in the bathroom. He stopped as he reached the end of the hallway, a slight frown on his lips as he took in the scene. He wondered if Jaebeom had asked Younjgae to finish up. He wondered if he hadn’t done well enough. He hadn’t realized that he had let out a defeated sigh until Jaebeom turned in his seat to address him.

“Yoongi. How is your finger? Did you find everything okay?”

His voice was laced with concern, his brows knitted together as he waited for the other to assure him that he was, indeed, alright.

Yoongi simply held up his hand, showing off the bandaged finger and he padded the rest of the way into the room to stand at the end of the countertop, unsure of what to do with himself.

“Ah. Yoongi. Jaebeomie here says you nicked your finger. I hope it isn’t too bad.”

Youngjae stopped cutting to glance at the other male’s hand and he chuckled softly.

“Looks like you did a good job taking care of it. I used to cut myself all the time when I was first learning to cook. Jaebeomie here will tell you I still suck, though.”

Youngjae laughed heartily, his joking an attempt at easing the tension in the other hybrid’s shoulders. He smiled when he noticed Yoongi relax a bit, his body shifting to lean on the end of the counter as he watched Youngjae get back to slicing the onion.

“I always hated cutting onions..”

Yoongi mumbled, smiling softly when the other two chuckled in agreement. They stayed that way for a few more minutes, a companionable silence surrounding them. It was only interrupted by the sound of the knife cleanly slicing through the flesh of the onion.

“Looks like this part is done. Yoongi, can you grab the beef from the fridge? We can get it unpacked and ready to go into the pan while Youngjae gets the vegetables started cooking.”

Jaebeom nodded in his direction, while Youngjae let out an annoyed sound.

“I thought he wanted to cook. Why do I have to cook the vegetables?”

His tone was light, despite his words. He laughed again when Yoongi looked at him in shock, unsure of how to react.

“I’m just kidding. It was my turn to cook today, anyway. You just got here. You’ll be in the rotation soon enough.”

Yoongi flinched when Youngjae slapped him on the shoulder, much in the way he had slapped Jaebeom on the shoulder earlier. He could see the look of concern that crossed Jaebeom’s features, his eyes narrowing in Youngjae’s direction, who quickly opened his mouth to apologize after realizing what he had done.

“It’s okay. I know you’re just messing around.”

Yoongi gave the best smile he could muster and turned to do as he was instructed, taking the meat from the fridge. He set it on the counter next to the stove with his back to the others as he began to peel away the layers of plastic wrap. He could feel Youngjae’s presence next to his own, the slightly larger frame radiating warmth and he glanced over when Younjgae reached overhead for a bottle of oil.

“Oh! You turned it on already. Fantastic.”

The smile he offered Yoongi was blinding, his lips stretched almost comically wide and Yoongi couldn’t help but smile back. Yoongi shyly nodded his head, before he went back to what he was doing. It only took a few more tugs until the plastic was removed and he stood with it in his hand, looking around aimlessly.

“What’s wrong?”

Jaebeom called, noticing the way the other looked a bit lost.

“Garbage…”

Yoongi held up the plastic wrap unceremoniously.

“Oh! Of course. You wouldn’t know where the garbage bin is. It’s under the sink.”

Jaebeom pointed to a spot next to where Yoongi was standing.

“Thank you.”

Yoongi mumbled, turning to open the cabinet and tossing the trash into the bin. He turned around and leaned on the counter when he finished, his head turned to watch Youngjae push the vegetables around in the pan as they softly crackled in the oil. He could smell the peppers and onions now, their heady scent permeating the air as they cooked. It wouldn’t be long before it was time to add the meat and sauce. When the time came, he carefully arranged each piece of beef in the pan so that it would all be cooked evenly. 

“There’s rice in the fridge, too. In a large pot. It just needs to be warmed up. If you grab it we can pop it in this here and it should be good to go around the same time as the rest of the food.”

Youngjae tapped on the rice cooker next to the knife rack, noticing that Yoongi seemed to be getting antsy just standing around.

Yoongi did just that, taking no time at all to identify the large pot of rice and he settled it in the cradle. He clicked it on, watching the censor go from dim to brightly lit, and he hummed in self satisfaction. It wasn’t normal that he was asked to help with things. More like told, or commanded. He kind of liked being asked. It made him feel like they wanted him here, wanted him to help, rather than feeling like it was his duty to take care of things. The men who lived in this house shared the responsibilities that came with it and he was no exception. He had been dragged right into their routine and given tasks to perform together with the others. It was nice, working side by side with Youngjae. They quietly watched the meat cook and listened to the soft sizzle of the fat as it was burned off. He was so absorbed in it that he hadn’t noticed the man seated at the island, watching him with a fond smile on his face, and thanking the stars that he was the one who had picked up this precious cargo.

When the food was done, the three of them gathered around the island. Jaebeom stayed where he was with the other two on either side of him. There was a steaming array of food in front of them, the acidic sauce in the pan still bubbling, while the rice gave off it’s own fragrant aroma. Youngjae had pulled out a couple of beers for them to drink with their meal, chuckling when Yoongi stared at it like it was a snake for a moment, and offering him a glass of water instead. Yoongi shook his head immediately, accepting the cold glass bottle and setting it beside his plate. He waited quietly for the go ahead to eat his food. His silence was met with two sets of eyes on him, brows raised, and waiting on him to take the first bite. His cheeks flushed pink at the attention, his own eyes moving to the food on his plate, before taking a bite. He let out of soft noise at the heat on his tongue, one hand reaching for his cold beer, and taking a large gulp.

“Too hot.”

He explained as Youngjae snorted and Jaebeom grinned.

“You gotta blow on it first, like this.”

Jaebeom stabbed at a piece of meat and a slice of pepper on his plate, lifting it to his mouth, and blowing on it as the steam slowly stopped rolling off of his fork. He held it out to Yoongi, who stared at it for a moment before leaning forward, and carefully taking the bit of food into his mouth. It was much less hot this time and he smiled softly at Jaebeom.

“Thank you…”

Yoongi whispered, eyes darting back to his own plate when he felt his cheeks get hot again.

“Me, too. Me, too.”

Youngjae tugged on Jaebeom’s shirt sleeve, opening his mouth wide and leaning towards the older male. 

Jaebeom rolled his eyes and reached out his hand, pinching Youngjae’s nose and scolding him like a child.

“Feed yourself, you brat.”

Yoongi chuckled softly beside the pair, continuing to take slow, careful bites of his food until it had cooled a bit more on it’s own. 

The rest of their dinner was fairly quiet, aside from the occasional teasing between the other two. It was nice to sit beside them, even just listening, and not interjecting. They would turn to him with questions from time to time, mostly about how he liked the food and the house so far, nothing too pressing or personal. He liked it, all of it, and he hoped that he would continue to find new things he liked about living with them.

When they were finished eating, Youngjae gathered their plates and loaded them into the dishwasher, leaving Yoongi and Jaebeom to lounge in their chairs. Yoongi’s stomach was full and warm, hands resting on his bloated belly as he finished off his second beer. 

“Why don’t we go see your room, now that you’re nice and full? I think you could probably benefit from a hot shower, too.”

Jaebeom offered gently, setting his own empty beer bottle on the countertop. He had a nice warm buzz flowing through him and the pain from his toes had greatly subsided at this point. He was ready to be up and moving again. He lead the way down the hall, careful not to step too hard on his injured foot and headed up the stairs, with the smaller male trailing close behind. When they reached the second floor, he turned left and walked around the railing, leading Yoongi to a door at the end of the hall.

“This will be your room. I’m sorry if it isn’t much to your taste, but we can go shopping tomorrow and get you some stuff that will make it feel more like home.”

Jaebeom explained as he pushed open the door and stepped to the side, letting Yoongi enter the room.

Yoongi looked around in silent awe, his wide eyes taking in everything. It was a fairly large room, much larger than anything that he had been given in the past. He took in the size of the bed, which had more than enough room for one person. The comforter was a pale yellow, not much to his personal taste, but he would take anything at this point. There were several pillows tucked neatly at the top of the bed, also clad in the same pale yellow. There was a bedside table that housed a small lamp, as well as a digital clock and had several drawers built into it. The room had an average sized desk in the corner, great for studying or setting up a computer if he had had one. There we no decorations on the plain white walls and no personal touches left behind by whomever had lived here last.

“There are some clothes in the closet there.”

Jaebeom had stepped into the room, quietly observing as Yoongi took in his surroundings, but he now pointed to the door on the opposing wall.

“They might not fit the best, but we try to keep at least a few things around in case of an emergency. We can get you some clothes tomorrow, too.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

Yoongi finally spoke up, turning to face the other man. Jaebeom had already given him so much. A roof over his head, away from the harsh winds and cold snow that was bound to come. A hot meal that sated a hunger he had grown so accustomed to that he wasn’t even aware of how hungry he truly was until he had eaten with them this evening. He had even been given his own room, with his own bed, with his own personal space. He wasn’t sure he could ever repay the kindness he had been shown already, let alone what more he was being offered.

“Nonsense. You need your own things. I can’t have you running around in your underwear like Youngjae.”

“Hey! I heard that.”

Came a shout from the hall, Youngjae had finished cleaning up their mess from dinner and was now back upstairs to play whatever video game he was on this week. A door slammed soon after and Jaebeom laughed, shaking his head and smiling warmly at Yoongi.

“Just think of it as an investment. We’re getting you back in shape and ready to take care of yourself. Everyone has their own identity, and I think it’s about time that you found yours.”

Jaebeom stepped away from Yoongi, one arm reaching to throw open another door that Yoongi hadn’t even noticed. Yoongi let his eyes trail along Jaebeom’s arm, trying to ignore the way the muscles shifted under his skin as he followed his gaze into the revealed space. It was a small bathroom, complete with a toilet, a sink, a set of cabinets, and a full shower. He sputtered as he looked back at Jaebeom and then into the room again, totally flabbergasted at the hospitality he was shown. 

“Is this really all for me?”

Yoongi asked quietly, sending Jaebeom’s heart into his stomach. He sounded sadder than he had expected, his eyes shimmering with unshed tears as he looked up at the other male, still finding it hard to believe that someone would go this far for him.

“Yes. It’s really all for you.”

Jaebeom assured him, one hand moving to ruffle his already unruly hair.

“Now go pick out some clothes and take your shower. I’ll be downstairs watching television. You can join me when you’re done.”

Jaebeom spun him towards the closet, giving him a gentle push. After a moment he stepped backwards out of the room and pulled the door shut behind him. He had to remove himself from the setting before he pulled the other into a tight embrace, his emotions starting to get the better of him. He shook his head to clear it as he turned and headed back downstairs.

“You know you shouldn’t get too attached, Jaebeom.”

Youngjae’s voice called softly from behind the cracked bedroom door, his eyes peeking out eerily.

“I’m not getting attached, Youngjae. He’s just so lost. He keeps questioning if everything we do for him is okay, and it’s as if he isn’t sure if he’s really allowed to be here. He keeps waiting for the other shoe to drop and something bad to happen. I can see it in his eyes. It just breaks my heart to know that so much negativity has gone on in his life that a little bit of good seems unrealistic to him. It’s heart wrenching to know that to him, it’s questionable behaviour to treat him with kindness. I just don’t want him to be afraid of us, Youngjae.”

Jaebeom sighed, rubbing one hand over his face, before pushing his hair off of his forehead.

“I know, Jaebeom, but I also know how you are. You think that you’re just doing what’s best for other people and then you end up getting hurt when they leave because you fixed whatever it was that wrong with them. You’re too soft. I just don’t want to see you crying when the day comes that Yoongi can live on his own and doesn’t want to be tied down to us anymore. Do you really want to keep him here forever, anyway?’

It was a valid question. It was one that Youngjae asked every time Jaebeom brought home a stray. One that he asked every time he saw that look of utter despair on Jaebeom’s face when he picked up something or someone that seemed broken, sometimes beyond repair. 

“I’m not asking him to stay forever and I’m not expecting him to. I just want him to trust us. That’s all. I promise.”

Jaebeom assured him, watching the way Youngjae’s eyes narrowed through the crack and then disappeared as the door clicked shut with a soft, “If you say so, Jaebeomie.”

\-----

It had been a while since Yoongi had been able to take a hot shower on his own. Often times he was doused in cold water or dragged into a much too small bathtub with whomever his owner had loaned him out to for the night. It was nice to have the space to himself, hot steam rolling along the glass pane of the sliding door and the stinging spray of water pounding against his scratched up back. Jaebeom hadn’t seen those marks and bruises. Those left behind by the sharp metal edges of a belt buckle and the biting slap of leather. Some of them were still fresh, still painful. Some were just barely beginning to heal, seeing as he had been tossed out of his previous “home” a mere two days ago. He sucked in a sharp breath at the searing pain, letting the water wash away any remnants of that place. 

His dirty hair was scrubbed clean, leaving behind the scent of strawberries from the shampoo Jaebeom kept stored there. His face was washed and free of oil, his body cleansed and his spirits lifted. He let the heat of the shower soak into his bones, warming him thoroughly before he turned off the spray and stepped on to the fluffy floor mat just outside of the cubicle. He reached for the towel he had laid out, an abundance of them in the cabinet just above the toilet and he rubbed it over his head and body slowly. It was soft and smooth on his freshly washed skin, wrapping him in a sense of security as he tied it around his waist and moved to brush his teeth. He had found a brand new toothbrush, along with floss picks, and a tube of toothpaste inside the medicine cabinet, before stepping into the shower. There was an array of first aid supplies, pain killers, allergy tablets, and a set of hairbrushes and combs also inside the small cabinet, all tucked away neatly and ready for their next guest. He brushed his teeth in silence, spitting into the sink and rinsing his mouth before padding back into the bedroom and taking another look around. 

He smiled to himself, eyeballing the outfit he had chosen and laid out on the bed. The clothes appeared to be much too large for himself, but it would do for now. He dressed himself quickly, stepping back into the bathroom to discard the dirty towel into the clothes hamper, and he found himself staring fondly at the bed before him. He stepped carefully across the threshold and into the bedroom, as if walking too quickly would end the dream. As if he would wake up, back in the alley, with no food or home to call his own. When his knees bumped the edge of the bed he let out the breath he was holding, his eyes closing for a moment. He opened them again to find himself smiling even brighter. He let out a gleeful laugh, throwing himself onto the bed with a puff of air escaping his chest from the sheer force of the landing. He scrambled up the bed, snatching a pillow and clutching it to his chest, his arms wrapped around it tightly. He settled his head against another, his eyes closed and his lips pulled into a smile. He was truly happy, for the first time in a long time and he prayed silently that he wouldn’t wake up if it was, in fact, a dream.

\---

Jaebeom yawned and stretched, clicking the remote to check the time on the television. He had zoned out watching the news, his mind on other things. He frowned to himself at the time. It had been nearly an hour since he left Yoongi upstairs to shower and he was certain that it didn’t take one that long to wash up. He stood from his place on the couch, wandering down the hall and peering up the stairs. He had expected to hear the sound of voices. Perhaps Yoongi had stopped to chat with Youngjae along the way, but all was silent, aside from the suddening cursing he had come to expect from Youngjae’s room. He plodded up the stairs slowly, making the roundabout turn to head in the direction of Yoongi’s room. He listened for a moment before knocking, his ear to door and he was met with silence yet again. He furrowed his brows and turned the doorknob, gently pushing the door open to peer inside.

“Yoongi? There’s a movie starting soon. Would you like to watch it to-”

Jaebeom cut off as the door opened fully, the other male coming into full view. He chuckled and shook his head, scolding himself for not even considering the fact that the other may have fallen asleep. He took in the sight before him. The freshly bathed hybrid was curled up on his side, mouth slightly ajar, and he drooling on himself. He was wearing a t-shirt that was much too large for him and a pair of basketball shorts that were hanging halfway off of his hips. Jaebeom was often times larger than the strays he picked up, but he felt that giving them his own clothes gave off a small hint of trust. It showed that he was comfortable not only sharing his home, but his own personal belongings with them. He turned his head at the sound of feet nearing, Youngjae finally coming out of the cave that was his room and peeking over his shoulder.

“Ah, he fell asleep.”

“That he did. He’s had a long day. Let’s let him sleep for now. Wanna watch that movie we were talking about earlier?”

Jaebeom suggested, wanting to leave the sleeping male to his rest.

“Is that the one with the girl who gets lost in the forest and meets some strange man living there?”

“Yeah, that one.”

A shrug.

“Sure, why not.”

The door closed behind them as the pair headed back to the living room, leaving Yoongi to his nap. It had been far too long since he had slept this peacefully. Far too long since he had felt safe and secure. Far too long since he had felt a sense of belonging. 

But this? This felt like home.


	2. Magic Shop

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jaebeom takes Yoongi on the promised trip to the mall where they learn a little bit more about one another. Mark is introduced as Youngjae's boyfriend. Youngjae, as always, is a drama queen.

Yoongi stretched as he slowly woke up, joints cracking. A soft groan slipped past his lips as he rolled on to his back. He sighed through his nose as he splayed his arms and legs out to his sides. His eyes shot open instantly, realizing that he hadn’t bumped into another body, hadn’t reached the edge of the bed, nor had he been shoved onto the floor. He was met with the hazy sight of a high raised beam ceiling and his brows furrowed together in confusion. This wasn’t his room. _Where was he? _He twisted his neck to the side, tired eyes slowly dragging along the bare walls and they stopped on the open door to the bathroom. He sat upright then, mouth agape as it all came flooding back to him. This _was _his room. At least, for now. 

He remembered the man who had called himself Jaebeom from the day before. He had offered Yoongi a place to stay. He remembered the kind tone of his voice, the way he smiled, and the way his lips felt on his skin. He shook his head, trying to chase away the thought, cheeks burning with embarrassment at the recollection. He also remembered the other hybrid, Youngjae, he thinks was his name. Youngjae was a bit dramatic, but friendly, and he seemed to really enjoy living here with Jaebeom. Yoongi also remembered that Jaebeom had said they would be going shopping today. He glanced down at the clothes that were far too large for him and falling off of his form. One shoulder was exposed, the fabric of the plain white t-shirt sagging and hanging loosely off of his upper arm. The boxers he had been given just barely clung to his hips, while the basketball shorts he wore had settled low under his butt. 

He yawned one more time and stretched his arms over his head, before sliding to the edge of the bed. His feet met cold hardwood flooring and he jerked them back, knees nearly to his chest. He glared down at the offending floorboards before carefully setting one foot at a time back down. He tugged the boxers and shorts up around his hips, rolling the waistband of the shorts down some to bunch them up and hopefully hold them in place. He snorted at the way they fell past his knees, even hiked up and he wondered to himself about just who wore such large clothes. He then adjusted the oversized shirt, trying to keep it on his shoulders, but sighed when it slipped back down, even after several attempts. 

He groaned when he felt the familiar tingle of having to use the bathroom, having just gotten his clothes settled in place. He padded into the bathroom, opting to close the door, despite it being his own private en suite. He closed his eyes and hummed, drowning out the sound of his own urine, and he flushed the toilet before moving to stand at the sink. He stared at his reflection, this time not hating what he saw. His hair was a mess, but that was due to falling asleep with it wet the night before. His eyes weren’t punched with black and drooping. One cheek was lined with the creases of a pillowcase and the other was caked with drool. Rather than the haggard appearance he had grown so used to seeing, he looked: refreshed. He couldn’t help but smile at his reflection. The abrupt change in appearance after just one night left him with a small bit of hope that maybe he had made the right decision in coming to live with the two men who had offered up their home to him. 

He opened the medicine cabinet and pulled out the hairbrush he had seen the night before. He carefully brushed out the tangles that had formed overnight after washing his hands. A scowl formed on his lips when his hair turned into one giant mass of fluff. He had always hated that his hair had a bit of curl to it. It would never lay the way he wanted it to, and it rarely cooperated, even with the help of styling products. He grumbled as he put the brush away, turning and walking back into the bedroom. He readjusted his clothes, huffing at the shorts that threatened to slide down his legs again, and he pulled open the door leading into the hallway cautiously. He peered out into the hall, the morning sun filtering through the blinds covering circular windows and leaving streaks of yellow across the floorboards. He stepped into the hall, pulling the door closed behind him and he took a few tentative steps forward. It was quiet, save from the light sound of snoring that came from Youngjae’s room at the opposite end of the hall. He continued down the hall, stopping as he reached the stairs. He hadn’t been told if he was allowed to wander the house or not, but he was awake, and he hoped that it was okay.

After he made his way down the stairs and wandered down the hall into the shared living area, he had to raise a hand to shield his eyes from the bright rays of the sun. The blinds in the kitchen and living room were pulled, letting the sun shine through unfiltered. His stomach growled as he stood there, eyes squinted and one hand raised to create shade. He wasn’t sure what time it was. He hadn’t stopped to glance at the clock when he had woken up. He figured it was just past daybreak, considering how low the sun still hung in the sky. He glanced around until his eyes settled on the neon glow of the microwave’s digital screen, the time reading 6:42. He had slept for just over nine hours. He looked around again, stomach once again reminding him that it was time to eat, and he padded to the refrigerator to peek inside. 

He spotted a carton of eggs and a package of bacon, his eyes lighting up at the sight. It had been a while since he had eaten a breakfast of bacon and eggs, not something that was common in the places he had lived before. He shuffled around in the kitchen until he had found everything he needed, remembering where the oil was from the night before, and carefully pulling a skillet down from where it hung above the island. He turned on the stove, humming to himself as he organized everything and waited for the pan to heat up. He lay three strips of bacon across the bottom of the pan, stepping back when it crackled and popped, causing oil to splatter up and out of the pan. He rocked onto his heels and back down onto the flat of his feet, his impatience causing him to become restless as he waited for the bacon to cook. He carefully turned it over with a fork when he deemed the bottom cooked enough and he groaned at the delicious smell that wafted to his nose.

“Something smells good.”

It took Yoongi a moment to realize that he hadn’t voiced his thoughts out loud and he jerked his head towards the hallway. Jaebeom stood in the entryway, leaning on the wall, and looking like he had just rolled out of bed. Hair that was perfectly styled the day before stood on end, sticking out in random places and curling against his temples. His oversized t-shirt was crumpled and the hem of his boxer shorts peeked out from under it just slightly. His eyes were barely visible through the way he squinted into the sun, but his smile shone just as brightly. Yoongi shifted from one foot to the other, his eyes darting away from Jaebeom’s form to look back down at the bacon.

“I woke up and I was hungry. I- I’m sorry for taking food without asking.”

Yoongi started, his ears flattening against his head and his tail curling around his left leg as he waited to be reprimanded.

“You don’t have to ask here, Yoongi…”

Jaebeom’s voice was laced with sleep, husky and thick, but assuring. He yawned and leaned away from the wall to pad into the kitchen. He stopped just behind the hybrid, peering over his shoulder into the pan and he propped his chin there.

“However, I really don’t think that three pieces of bacon is gonna be enough for the both of us. You’re gonna have to cook some more.”

Jaebeom teased, the sound of his voice next to Yoongi’s ear sending a shiver down the latter’s spine. 

The hybrid squirmed a little, unused to the closeness of another body without impure intentions. He swallowed thickly, nodding his head mutely. He stood stock still for another minute or two, just listening to the sound of Jaebeom’s breathing next to his ear. He wasn’t uncomfortable with the closeness, but it was unusual, and he felt himself moving mechanically to flip the bacon onto the plate he had set nearby. 

Jaebeom could feel the tenseness in the hybrid’s frame, his body moving almost too stiffly as he continued to cook their breakfast. He frowned to himself as he leaned away, watching Yoongi for a moment, before he resigned himself to sitting at the island. He propped his chin in one hand as he stared at the back which had seemed to relax since Jaebeom’s retreat. He wondered to himself about what exactly could have happened in Yoongi’s life that would have caused the hybrid to be so averse to human touch. He found himself hoping that in time the other male would be able to relax around him and would learn to accept simple gestures of kindness for what they were.

Yoongi could feel the eyes on his back, the warmth from Jaebeom’s body lingering. He scowled down at the pan, watching the new layer of bacon crackling as it cooked. It had been less than a day in his new home, and the owner had been nothing but kind to him. Yet, he still felt apprehensive about sharing his personal space with a human. He sighed as he flipped the bacon over, scolding himself for being so standoffish with Jaebeom, but inwardly relieved to know that he wouldn’t be pushed to do things he wasn’t comfortable with. The pair that he found himself living with seemed to be a little more open with skinship than he was himself. Neither of them seemed interested in forcing it on him, but Jaebeom had been much more forward than Youngjae had been. He shook his head, willing the analytical part of his brain to settle down for the time being, and he focused on the task at hand. When he had finished with the bacon, he turned slightly, eyes settling on the man who seemed to be content to stare at his back, and he felt his cheeks warm up. 

“How many eggs did you want?”

Yoongi asked quietly, his voice barely a squeak and he cleared his throat before trying again.

“I usually eat two myself, but I didn’t know if you wanted more or less…”

“Ah. Two is fine.”

Jaebeom beamed at him from his perch at the island, a yawn slipping past his lips.

“How do you like them?”

“However you want to make them. I’m not picky.”

Yoongi nodded his head, a small smile on his lips, and he turned back to the pan. It was lined with bacon grease, still hot and crackling. It was ready for the eggs. He cracked two, letting them settle into the pan. He reached over the stove for the salt and pepper shakers, adding a bit of seasoning to them as they cooked. He returned them to their respective places and carefully watched for the eggs to be ready to flip. He skillfully maneuvered them with practiced ease, turning them over without breaking the yolk. He hoped Jaebeom liked his eggs sunny side up. When the first pair of eggs was finished, he fished out another plate and settled them on it. He scooped up half of the bacon and added it to the plate, eyeing it suspiciously before he groaned.

“I forgot to make toast.”

Yoongi sounded defeated, his shoulders slumping and his tail drooping lifelessly behind him. 

Jaebeom laughed, the sound of it rich and full as he slid from his perch and made his way around the island.

“I think I can handle that much.”

Jaebeom offered, smiling warmly at Yoongi and heading to the opposite end of the kitchen. He opened a cabinet and pulled out a loaf of bread. The wrapper crinkled angrily as he opened it, sliding out four slices and popping them into the toaster. 

Yoongi watched quietly as Jaebeom got their toast ready, almost forgetting that he needed to make two more eggs. He quickly set down the plate he had been holding dumbly for the last few minutes and cracked two more eggs into the pan. It took no time for the toaster to ding and for four browned slices of bread to pop up, just in time for the second pair of eggs to be plated. He carried both plates to where Jaebeom stood, holding them out for the toast. He carefully placed them on the island next to one another and padded back to the fridge. 

Jaebeom watched curiously as Yoongi dug around in the fridge, the hybrid seeming to make himself at home in his kitchen. He settled himself back in his former seat, placing the necessary silverware next to their plates and waited for Yoongi to finish up what he was doing. He chuckled when his head popped back into view as the door closed, Yoongi brandishing a stick of butter and a carton of orange juice.

“I don’t know where the cups are…”

Yoongi mumbled, placing the butter and orange juice on the island. He followed Jaebeom’s line of sight when the other lifted his arm and pointed, quickly moving to procure a set of glasses for the two of them. He took the seat next to Jaebeom, careful not to bump him in the process and he poured himself a glass of juice, before offering it to Jaebeom and buttering his toast. 

Their breakfast wasn’t as noisy as dinner the night before had been, the loudest of the three missing in action. There was idle chit chat, Jaebeom complimenting Yoongi on his cooking skills once again, and acting like it was the best thing he had ever eaten. It stirred something inside of the hybrid that he didn’t want to put too much thought in to. He bowed his head slightly, thanking Jaebeom quietly, before shoving another bite of food into his mouth. 

“I have a few phone calls to make and it’s still pretty early, so you can watch television or play a game until the mall opens.”

Jaebeom casually reminded Yoongi of their plans for the day as he cleared their plates when they had finished eating. 

“Youngjae has a lot of consoles out here in the living room, so you can go ahead and just look through the entertainment center and pick out whatever.”

Jaebeom continued, calling over his shoulder as he rinsed their plates and placed them in the dishwasher.

Yoongi nodded, mostly to himself. He picked up the butter and orange juice, carrying them to the fridge to put them away, and he leaned on the door as it closed with a quiet snick.

“You don’t have to do this, you know..”

Yoongi reminded Jaebeom again. He knew that his protests would likely fall on deaf ears, but he needed to say it again, for his own pride’s sake. He didn’t want Jaebeom to feel obligated to do more than he already had for him.

“Yoongi.. We already went over this. It’s fine. You can’t wear my clothes forever. I mean, look at you.”

Jaebeom gestured to what the hybrid was wearing. The shirt had slid off of his shoulder again, baring his skin for all the world to see. The shorts had slipped just past his hips, and were hanging low on his bottom. Yoongi felt himself flush, his ears twitching on top of his head as he let the fact that he was wearing Jaebeom’s own clothes sink in. 

“But-”

“No buts. Now go sit on the couch, before I throw you over my shoulder and put you there myself.”

Jaebeom teased, laughing out loud at the look on Yoongi’s face in response to the remark. He shook his head as Yoongi finally complied, shuffling into the living room and plopping himself down on the couch. He smiled at him fondly before he exited the kitchen, disappearing around the corner into an area of the house Yoongi had yet to explore.

Yoongi watched as Jaebeom’s back retreated, curious to where he was headed, but chose to leave that question for later. He turned around to face the television, picking up the remote from the coffee table and he clicked the power button. The television came to life, the screen brightening to a scene from a movie he remembered seeing before. It hadn’t been all that interesting in his opinion, so he opted to flip through the channels until he found a music channel currently airing news. He settled comfortably on the couch and let his eyes wander around the room, his ears still tuned in to the television. 

He let himself zone out a bit, entranced by the way the sunlight bounced off the floorboards and created various patterns on the interior of the room. He yawned lazily, his body tipping to the side and falling on to the couch to stretch out across it. He looked up at the ceiling, noting that it had the same high beams that his room had, and he wondered how old the structure itself was. 

“Ah, no. I don’t really have time to date with how busy work has become and with having to chase Youngjae around.”

“Youngjae?”

“Ah. He’s the cat hybrid that’s been living with me since we were kids. He can be a real handful sometimes.”

Yoongi was pulled out of his thoughts by the sound of a familiar voice, conversating with one that wasn’t quite so familiar. He sat up to look behind the couch, expecting to see Jaebeom standing there, but he was alone. Confused, he scrunched his face and turned back to the television, eyes going wide at what he saw on the screen. It was Jaebeom, sitting casually on a sofa, directly across from what appeared to be an interviewer. He leaned forward in his seat, elbows resting on his knees, and he narrowed his eyes as he concentrated on the scene unfolding before him. 

He was quiet for the next fifteen minutes, focused intently on the interview, his head bobbing a few times as he learned new things about the man who had taken him in. He had learned the day before that Jaebeom worked as a producer, but he hadn’t known that he was such a prominent name. Defsoul had been credited on a number of tracks recently that had become very popular. Yoongi himself had found Defsoul’s work to be easy to listen to and entrancing. He often found himself listening to solo tracks the artist had made outside of his production work for other artists. He was awed to learn that the deeply emotional and sometimes dark lyrics were written by the same man who smiled at him with such ease. He also learned that Jaebeom was single, not that it mattered to him, and that he had no real interest in dating at the current time. His work was far too busy and Youngjae _really was_ a handful.

He found it fascinating to watch Jaebeom in a different setting, professional, yet still casual at the same time. His dress was similar to what he had worn the day before, t-shirt and jeans, nothing too fancy. He wondered how long ago the interview had been taped, because it clearly wasn’t live. Not with Jaebeom being somewhere inside of the house at the current time. He made a mental note to ask Jaebeom about his work, music being a passion of his own. He was honestly more excited than he had been in a long time to talk to someone about it. 

“I’m done with my phone calls, but we still have about forty-five minutes until the mall opens. It only takes about fifteen minutes to get there. We should try to find something that fits you a little better before we head out.”

Jaebeom’s voice called from the kitchen, startling Yoongi from his reverie. 

Yoongi turned to look at him, his chin pressed against the back of the couch. He stared at him quietly for a few moments, lips pursing as he hummed to himself. 

Jaebeom blinked, somewhat confused as to why the hybrid was staring at him with narrowed eyes.

“What’s wrong?”

Jaebeom asked, stepping closer to the couch cautiously.

“Are you really Defsoul?”

The question startled Jaebeom into stopping his descent upon the couch, as he hadn’t discussed his work with Yoongi yet. However, it wasn’t impossible that the hybrid had looked closely at the awards he housed in the corner while he was left alone. He raised one hand to rub at the back of his head, chuckling softly and nodding.

“Guilty as charged.”

Jaebeom admitted.

Yoongi’s eyes lit up, his ears and tail visibly perking.

“I love your music. It’s amazing. I follow your Soundcloud religiously. Your lyrics are so deep and emotional. You can really feel a connection to the music and the artist while listening to them and the music itself is just- it’s perfect. Even that tracks you produce for other artists. They’re always my favorite from their albums. As soon as I hear it I know. This is Defsoul.”

He spluttered, not even thinking about how he might embarrass himself by gushing over Jaebeom’s tracks and sounding like a total fanboy. He was leaning up, over the back of the couch now, fingers digging into the fabric as he rambled on with his praise.

Jaebeom stared at him silently, slightly overwhelmed at how talkative Yoongi had become. He hadn’t expected him to come out of his shell any time soon. Nor had he expected him to be so enthusiastic about Jaebeom’s music. It was an interesting change of pace from the day before and he found himself smiling dumbly at the hybrid.

“I’m sorry. I got carried away.”

Yoongi mumbled an apology as he sank back down onto the couch, hiding all but his eyes and the top of his head from sight when Jaebeom didn’t reply.

“No! No, it’s okay. I was just shocked is all. You weren’t very talkative yesterday or this morning, so I just wasn’t expecting it. I was especially surprised to hear that you like my music so much. That makes me happy. Thank you.”

Jaebeom’s tone was friendly and his eyes were warm. He chuckled again at the way the hybrid stared at him with big eyes, his face slowly coming back into view.

“Your music makes a lot of people happy, I think..”

Yoongi started, his eyes looking past Jaebeom instead of at him. He was afraid of what he’d see if he let himself catch the other’s gaze right now. 

“I hope so.”

Jaebeom’s reply was simple, a fond smile playing on his lips. He watched the hybrid curiously for another moment, before suggesting they head upstairs to change their clothes and get ready for their trip to the mall.

Yoongi noddly mutely, climbing off the couch and following Jaebeom up the stairs and back to his room, where they dug around a bit until they found something that would likely fit him better. The outfit had belonged to another stray that Jaebeom had taken in some time ago and was a bit closer to Yoongi’s size than Jaebeom was. He was left alone to change when Jaebeom headed to his own room to do the same. He found that this outfit didn’t suit him quite as well, the shirt an array of bright colors and tropical scenery. The pants were a tad on the little-bit-too-tight side. He groaned inwardly as he padded to the bathroom to look himself over, scowling at the pinks and blues that screamed at him from his reflection. It would have to do for now. 

His hair was still puffy, having settled only slightly in the time he had spent awake and he used both hands to try and smash it down. He had made little to no progress when he heard a soft knock on his bedroom door, Jaebeom’s voice trailing after it.

“Are you ready?”

Yoongi huffed and stomped out of the bathroom, flinging open the door to find Jaebeom changed and ready to go. He looked stunning, even in his ripped jeans and t-shirt that had some Japanese cartoon character on it. He was wearing dark sunglasses and a black beanie, his own hair smashed down and clinging to his forehead. He gestured to his own wild mop of hair, a frown on his lips as he huffed again.

“I see.”

Jaebeom chuckled, pushing past the pouting hybrid to re-enter the closet. He reached onto a high shelf that Yoongi hadn’t noticed and pulled down a similar beanie, thrusting it towards the other male. 

“Here. This should do the trick.”

Yoongi took the beanie hesitantly, unsure if it would go with the rest of his outfit and he whined in protest.

“Well, you can either wear that or go out with…” Jaebeom gestured to his hair. “That.”

Yoongi scowled and wandered back into his en suite, tugging the beanie down over his unruly hair. It wasn’t as bad as he had expected, but he still felt very uncomfortable in the overly loud attire he was wearing. He sighed and tucked a few loose strands of hair behind his ears, leaving some of it to fall in his eyes before he made his way back into the bedroom where Jaebeom was waiting for him.

“Ok. I’m ready.”

\-----

The ride to the mall was fairly short and quiet, the two of them zoning out to the sound of a thumping bass and smooth vocals. Jaebeom had opted to play something other than his own tracks, as he often did. He concentrated on the road ahead of him, rather than the hybrid seated next to him. Yoongi stared out the window, watching the scenery roll by as he hummed along with the tracks that he knew, keeping quiet to just enjoy the ones that he didn’t. They were approaching the mall in no time and Yoongi felt himself growing anxious at the prospect of being around so many unfamiliar faces. He had been forced into events with the business partners and acquaintances of his previous owner and had found that he wasn’t much one for crowds.

“We’re here.”

Jaebeom announced as he parked the car, turning the engine off and facing the silent male.

“Mmmm.”

Yoongi hummed and nodded, unbuckling his seatbelt and throwing his door open without a word. He closed it with a soft thud, waiting for Jaebeom to also exit the vehicle and lead the way into the mall. He had been here a few times in the past, but never this early in the day, and rarely during opening hours. His previous owner had connections and would bring him in after hours to pick out new outfits and accessories for whatever event he was being forced to attend. He shuddered at the thought and hoped that Jaebeom would keep a distance from those places. He didn’t need any reminders of his past and he certainly did not want to interact with anyone that was part of it.

He trailed behind Jaebeom a bit, not wanting to seem too forward by walking at his side. He had always been told to walk behind the humans, not in front of or beside, especially in public places. He noticed that Jaebeom had stopped walking after nearly crashing into his back, and he looked up to see Jaebeom glancing down at him over the rim of his sunglasses. 

“What are you doing back there?”

Jaebeom questioned, side stepping to stand next to Yoongi.

“You’re not a pet. We can walk side by side.”

Yoongi flushed at the words, feeling a little silly for assuming that Jaebeom would be anything like his former owner. He had walked beside him and Youngjae just the day before. He nodded his head mutely, quickly moving to match Jaebeom’s pace when the other started walking again. He let his eyes flit around, taking in the amount of people that were swarming the entryway and he sucked in a shallow breath. He could feel Jaebeom’s arm brush against his as they walked, his eyes falling to stare at the ground as they neared the crowd. 

Jaebeom noted the way Yoongi kept his eyes downcast, seeming to become more docile again when there were more people in the vicinity. He watched him out of the corner of his eye as they walked, stopping to let a group of high school girls brush past and then slipping through the door that lead into the mall. There were a number of stores that Jaebeom wanted to take Yoongi to and he knew where they were all located, but he wandered up to the digital map anyway. 

“Is there anywhere in particular that you’d like to go?”

Jaebeom asked, turning to the hybrid that still kept his eyes glued to the floor. His shoulders were slightly slumped and the jean jacket Jaebeom had given him to wear was sagging comically against his small frame.

Yoongi shrugged, lifting his eyes to glance up at Jaebeom and then peering at the map displayed in front of him. He didn’t have much of a preference for clothes, as long as they weren’t too gaudy. He liked anything that was black, grey, or white. Sometimes a combination of two or all three were fine, also. He pointed at a shop he was familiar with, but not one that he had been in very often. His previous owner had often time passed it up for places that were much fancier and much more expensive.

Jaebeom squinted at the board, peering at the number just above where Yoongi’s finger was resting and he checked the chart for the name of the store. He was more familiar with the location of shops by name, not by map placement. He let out a triumphant noise when he spotted it on the list, his head bobbing in agreement that it was a good first choice.

“Alright then. Let’s go!”

Jaebeom tugged on Yoongi’s arm, dragging the hybrid towards the escalator, and he chuckled at the way Yoongi let himself be pulled along. He released his arm when they reached the bottom, waiting for an elderly woman to climb onto the moving stairs before stepping on themselves. 

“Oh my god. Is that Defsoul?”

Yoongi heard it before Jaebeom did, his eyes moving to follow the sound of an excited voice. He met the gaze of a high school girl on the downward escalator, eyes wide and phone lifted as she snapped photo after photo of Jaebeom riding the escalator. He spotted a few more girls pulling out their phones, all yelling up the line to their friends. He glanced at Jaebeom, who remained unbothered, his eyes trained on the woman in front of him to make sure that she arrived to the second floor of the mall safely. He smiled to himself when he saw Jaebeom reach out a hand, resting it on the woman’s back and steadying her as she teetered when she stepped off of the escalator.

“Thank you, young man.”

The elderly woman smiled and bowed her head to Jaebeom, before hobbling off towards the restrooms and the sound of cooing followed. 

Jaebeom rolled his eyes at the throng of girls that had crowded around them, his dark irises hidden behind the thick lenses of his sunglasses. He reached for Yoongi’s elbow, angling him around the crowd. He bowed his head politely before side-stepping the lot of them and heading in the direction of the store Yoongi had chosen to visit first.

Yoongi snickered and glanced back over his shoulder at the girls. Most of them were left pouting, while some were rapidly typing away on their phones, likely posting their photos to social media or spamming their friends inboxes. He knew Defsoul was popular, but he wasn’t aware that he had so many young girls fawning over him. He snorted when he saw a couple of them break off from the group, dodging behind poles and other people to try and snap a few more photos. He turned back to watch where he was walking, following Jaebeom’s lead as they neared their destination.

“You really are a popular guy, huh? I bet you’ve got ten women waiting for your next call.”

Jaebeom visibly stiffened at Yoongi’s joke, the line of his jaw setting, and he shrugged.

“They’re gonna be waiting a long time. After you.”

Jaebeom stopped in front of the store Yoongi had chosen, one arm raised and ushering the other in before him. He cast a glare towards the girls who had been following them, his sunglasses slipping down his nose and one eyebrow raised. He scoffed when they scattered, running back down the hall from whence they came. He shook his head and stepped into the shop, smiling warmly as the manager stepped from behind the counter to greet him.

“Jaebeom! How nice to see you, and you’ve brought a guest!”

The woman was of average height and cute. Her long blonde hair was tied up into a sleek ponytail. She was curvy, but not overweight. Her eyes were lined in black and she was dressed in a red body hugging dress, that was accessorized with a chunky black belt.

“Jamie, good to see you, too. I have indeed brought a guest. This is Yoongi. He will be staying with Youngjae and I for a while.”

“Aha..”

Jamie’s tone was telling, her small frame turning and her eyes falling on Yoongi to fully take him in. She walked full circle around him, her tongue clicking in assessment as she rounded back to the front of the two men.

“This one is much cuter than the last one.”

She stated matter-of-factly, her eyes darting between the two men with a wide grin gracing her pretty lips.

“Ugh. Jamie. Come on. It’s not like that, you know that.”

Jaebeom groaned, ready to do damage control.

Yoongi stared at Jamie, confused, but it finally dawned on him a moment later.

“It-It’s not.”

Yoongi started, his mouth closing when Jaebeom placed a hand on his shoulder and shook his head, warning him that it was pointless to argue with her.

Jamie burst into a fit of laughter, tears brimming at the corners of her eyes and she wiped at them with the back of her hand. Still chuckling she waved the two further into the store and she stood off to the side to let them browse. 

“Just let me know if you see anything you like. We have a fitting room back here.”

She gestured to her right, a warm smile on her lips.

“She likes to tease.”

Jaebeom assured Yoongi, one hand resting lightly on his back as he urged him towards a rack of clothes.

“Pick whatever you like and you can try it on to see if it fits.”

Yoongi nodded dumbly, his teeth digging into his bottom lip as he stepped forward and reached out a hand to touch the smooth, dark silk in front of him. He had always wanted to own something from this store, but his previous owner had always looked down on it as not expensive enough for his taste. He glanced down at the price tag that dangled off the cuff of the sleeve and he reached out to flip it over, his eyes going wide as he dropped it.

“Oh no. We can’t buy anything here.”

Yoongi sputtered, turning to Jaebeom. He knew the stores in the mall were upper class, but he hadn’t expected this one to be so costly, considering how it was beneath the men he had been brought to the mall by in the past.

“What? Why? You don’t like it?”

Jaebeom furrowed his brows and cocked his head to the side, confusion etched on his features. Yoongi had asked to come here, so he couldn’t understand what the problem was.

“It’s too much.”

Yoongi whispered softly, speaking so that only Jaebeom could hear him. Jamie lingered nearby, her eyes on a couple of other customers who had stepped into the shop, but still within earshot.

“What?”

“The price. It’s too much. I can’t ask you to buy me something from here. Let’s just leave and go somewhere else.”

Yoongi pleaded.

Jaebeom laughed, the sound rumbling in his chest, one hand moving to reach for the price tag Yoongi had dropped. He shook his head, eyes blinking up at Yoongi as he turned his head to face him.

“It’s really not that much.”

Jaebeom dropped the tag, his back straightening. He placed one hand on Yoongi’s shoulder, turning him back to the rack.

“Pick something. Anything. I don’t care. We can afford it. Don’t worry.”

“But-”

“We’re not leaving until you pick at least two shirts, a pair of pants, and some socks.”

Jaebeom stated, arms crossing over his chest as he stared down the hybrid, who was peeking at him over his shoulder, through dark lenses.

Yoongi sighed and huffed, reaching out for the shirt he had been looking at again. He loved the way it felt on his skin, the soft silk gliding across it slowly as he trailed his fingers up the sleeve. He plucked it off the rack, checking the tag to see if it was in his size. He was in luck, finding that it matched what he had worn the last time he had been giving clothing, and he hadn’t really changed much since then. The shirt was a deep cherry red in color, almost black, but it shone under the light. It had a line of buttons up the front and he fingered them gingerly, a small smile on his face.

“Found something already?”

Jaebeom’s face appeared next to his own, his chin propped on his shoulder much as it had earlier that morning.

Yoongi nodded, holding the shirt up for Jaebeom to see, the overhead lighting causing different shades of red to ripple over the fabric as it dangled in the air. He sucked in a breath, more pleased with it now than he had been before, and he quickly hugged it to his chest.

“Good. Now find another one and then we’ll look at some pants.”

Jaebeom withdrew from Yoongi’s space, his hands shoved into his pockets as he milled about behind the hybrid. He watched him with curious eyes, wondering just what else he would choose. He found himself smiling as Yoongi picked up items and put them back, shaking his head when he decided it wasn’t for him. He wasn’t bothered at all by merely observing, he was learning a lot about the hybrid’s taste in clothing, in fact. He leaned on a nearby display, ties neatly lined up on the top of it, and he didn’t even flinch at the loud_ tsk_ that sounded behind him. He turned slightly to see Jamie, arms crossed over her chest, and a frown on her lips.

“Oh for- I’m not gonna break it.”

Jaebeom muttered, rolling his eyes and turning back to watch Yoongi struggling to choose between two shirts that were almost identical. 

“He seems.. Different.”

Jamie commented, her eyes also trained on the indecisive hybrid. 

“That’s because he is.”

Jaebeom replied, keeping it short and simple.

“Hmmm…?”

Jamie prodded, stepping a bit closer to Jaebeom and crowding into his personal space.

“Jamie..”

Jaebeom warned, not wanting to be the one to share what little details of Yoongi’s former life that he knew.

“What? I’m just curious is all. The last one you brought in here wanted you to buy the whole shop. I could have sworn he was gonna carry every last piece of clothing in his size out that door.”

She chuckled, remembering the last time Jaebeom had come into the shop with his latest “rescue”.

“He seems a lot less interested in material things. I even overheard him fussing at you about spending too much on him.”

Jamie nudged him with her shoulder, trying to ease a reply out of her longtime friend. Jaebeom and Jamie had gone to school together and kept in touch afterwards. She had dabbled in becoming an idol, passing her initial audition, but then deciding it wasn’t for her. She preferred to have more freedom and her passion was for fashion, even if it was spent just managing a high class clothing store in an uppity mall. 

“He’s just not used to it, I guess. I mean, his previous owner bought him things, but I don’t think it was anything he wanted himself. He was just forced in to some role that I’m not quite sure about yet. I just found him yesterday.”

Jaebeom explained a brief bit of what he had gathered from Yoongi’s behaviour.

“I think I’ve seen him before, now that you mention it. There was this guy, big wig of some company that would waltz through here just before closing, and he always had a hybrid with him. I think it was your Yoongi here. I remember, because he would always stop outside the doors and stare inside like he really wanted to come in, but he was always called away. I don’t think that man treated him very kindly.”

Her voice was low and a bit sad, her eyes moving to watch the hybrid put one of the two shirts he had been looking at back on the rack hesitantly. 

“I don’t think so either, Jamie..”

Jaebeom mumbled, a smile plastered back on his lips as Yoongi drew nearer. 

“Did you pick some stuff?”

Jaebeom asked, gesturing to the couple of shirts draped over Yoongi’s arm.

“I did. Should I try them on now or wait until we look at pants?”

Yoongi asked, unsure of what to do next. He had always been ushered around by the sales people and told what to do. He wasn’t sure what proper protocol was outside of what he had been forced in to for all of those years.

“Hmm. Let’s look at some pants first. I think we should see how the shirts look with them, since we’re trying to buy a few outfits.”

Jaebeom replied, leaning away from the table to lead Yoongi to the pants section. He rifled through them a bit, pulling out a pair of plain black slacks with a silver button that he thought would go well with the silk shirt Yoongi had first picked out. He held them up, showing them off to the hybrid and he frowned when Yoongi started laughing.

“What? You don’t think so? I think they would look really nice. See?”

Jaebeom pressed the pair of slacks against Yoongi’s arm where the shirts were draped, the black contrasting nicely with the deep cherry red of the silk shirt.

“Those are way too big for me.”

Yoongi chided, rolling his eyes and nodding to the XL sign above the rack. 

Jaebeom glanced in the direction that Yoongi had gestured and he felt his cheeks flush at his mistake. He muttered under his breath and put the pair of slacks back before roaming to another rack, which wasn’t marked XL.

“Well, what size do you normally wear?”

“Thirty-two.” 

Yoongi supplied, a fairly average number for someone of his stature.

“Alright then… Aha!”

Jaebeom searched for a moment and then pulled out an identical pair of slacks, sized correctly this time. He flung them over Yoongi’s shoulder triumphantly. He grinned stupidly at the other male, far more pleased with himself than the average person would be at finding a pair of pants in the correct size.

“Should I try them on now?”

Yoongi asked, remembering Jaebeom he was to pick at least two shirts and one pair of pants.

“I think you should look to see if you find anything you like, also. I picked this pair. You should pick a pair, too.”

Jaebeom offered before stepping back and allowing Yoongi space to look through the selection of slacks himself.

Yoongi shuffled around the rack, nothing really catching his eye until he circled it halfway and he pointed at the far wall.

“Those.”

Jaebeom turned to look where he was pointing, a soft chuckle bubbling up from his chest when he saw what he was pointing at. It was a display across the room, a pair of skinny jeans with fashionable tears in them. He found himself not surprised at all by the choice and he followed behind the hybrid to the other side of the store. It wasn’t long before Yoongi was holding up a pair in his size, his eyes shining with the same excitement he had seen that morning when he had spoken about Jaebeom’s music. He turned to wave Jamie over, letting her know that they had chosen a couple of items and that Yoongi would like to try them on. 

Yoongi allowed himself to be lead into the fitting room, Jamie unlocking a private stall for him and leaving him alone. He placed the articles of clothing on the hooks provided and, he turned to look at himself in the full length mirror. He swallowed as he slipped the jean jacket off, hanging it on another hook and his hands trembled as he slowly plucked at the buttons on the gaudy shirt he was wearing. He frowned as his chest came into view, small green splotches still littering his skin as he revealed his own body to himself. Bruises that were still healing. He fingered one of the discolored patches, the pain having long faded, but the reminder still lingering. He knew that they would disappear in time as they always did, but he still felt that they were ugly. 

He turned his back to the mirror, finishing up with removing the shirt and letting it drop to the floor. He carefully slid the silk shirt from its hanger, undoing the top two buttons that were simply done up to keep it from falling off the hanger. He slipped one arm inside a sleeve, his eyes closing at how good it felt on his skin, his tongue darting out to wet his lips. He eased his other arm into the other sleeve and began to button it up. He stopped when he reached his collarbones, having often been told they were pretty, and he turned to look at himself in the mirror. Most of the bruises were hidden this way, and he hoped that they wouldn’t be noticeable to those who weren’t looking for them. The hem of the shirt fell just to the middle of his buttocks and he liked the way it fit him.

He glanced at his pants, the jeans he had pulled from the closet, and he moved his hands to undo them and slide them off. He kicked off his shoes, the pants coming next, and he stepped free from the tangle of them. He looked at each pair of pants, choosing the pair Jaebeom had selected to wear with the shirt since the other male had been so keen on the set. He stepped into the pants, sliding them up over his legs and thighs slowly. They fit snugly around his hips, not too loose and not too tight once they had been buttoned up. He tucked the shirt in, despite liking his shirts a bit looser, and he pulled it up a little so that it sagged down while still looking neat. He was happy with the outfit overall, but he felt that he needed Jaebeom’s approval since he was the one spending the money to purchase it. He slowly opened the door, peering out, and he spotted Jaebeom leaning on the wall near the entrance to the fitting room.

“How- How does it look?”

Yoongi asked timidly, stepping out from behind the door and into Jaebeom’s line of sight. He held his breath, hoping it wasn’t weird or anything, considering Jaebeom had only seen him in wholly casual attire. He perked when Jaebeom leaned away from the wall, walking closer and circling him slowly.

“It looks good! I told you those pants would go well with that shirt.”

Jaebeom beamed as he came to a stop in front of Yoongi, words of praise easily falling from his lips. The hybrid looking gorgeous in the straight legged slacks, the shirt adjusted to fall loosely around his waist instead of tucked in primly. He nodded again in approval, his hands clapping together in excitement.

“Go try on the other outfit!”

Jaebeom insisted, shooing Yoongi away once he had properly looked him over once more. He was glad that the outfit looked good on him. He hadn’t wanted Yoongi to be disappointed in the first article of clothing he had chosen for himself in what seemed like a long time. He waited patiently where he stood, slightly inside the fitting room now and he glanced around. It was a neat little room, clean, with plain white walls. He figured that they didn’t want loud colors that would drown out the clothes the patrons were trying on. Simple white was definitely the best option. He turned his gaze back towards the stall Yoongi had disappeared into minutes before when he heard the door creak open again.

Yoongi stepped out of the stall, fingers picking at the hem of the shirt he had chosen to leave untucked this time. He stared at Jaebeom expectantly, waiting on his assessment. 

Jaebeom swallowed, eyeing the simple black shit polo hanging loosely from Yoongi’s slim frame. It had a small emblem on the left side of the chest, something Jaebeom couldn’t make out from his current distance from the hybrid. He stepped a bit closer, moving into Yoongi’s space and the hybrid visibly shifted on his feet. He tilted his chin down, getting a better look at the emblem and he smiled at the small feline form. It was one of his own personal favorite brands. He looked back up to meet Yoongi’s eyes, a small smile forming on his lips.

“I like it.”

Jaebeom stated, nodding his head in affirmation. He walked around the hybrid as he had the first time, taking in the full view. He stopped behind him, admiring the way the fabric fell just past his waist and settled mid thigh. It wasn’t the classic way to wear a polo shirt, but it looked good on Yoongi. Jaebeom made his way back around to the front of him, eyes falling to the carefully placed tears in the jeans. The skin that peeked out looked smooth and soft, lacking the marks he had seen on Yoongi’s upper body the day before. He was grateful for that, silently hoping that there were no other injuries on the hybrid that he was unaware of. He let his eyes slide up Yoongi’s calves to his thighs, the shirt blocking most of the view, but he could see that they were sturdy despite his small stature. He finally drew them back up to meet Yoongi’s and grinned.

“You can change back now, unless you want to wear this out. It doesn’t matter, because we’re getting it either way.”

Yoongi blinked at Jaebeom’s words, his eyes going wide and he opened and closed his mouth at least once before he got any sound to come out.

“I’d like to wear this..”

Yoongi spoke quietly, inwardly cringing at the thought of putting the bold patterned shirt he had come into the store wearing back on.

“I had a feeling you’d say that.” 

Jaebeom chuckled, stepping around Yoongi to collect the other shirt and slacks and then reappearing from inside the stall. 

“Hand me the tags for those and I’ll go get these paid for while you gather up the clothes you came in with.”

Yoongi carefully tore the price tag from the hem of the shirt he wore, his fingers searching for the tag on the pants. He found it after fumbling for several moments, plucking it free, and he handed them both to Jaebeom.

“Thank you. You can meet me up front once you have everything picked up.”

Jaebeom left him with that, heading back into the main area of the store. He stopped to grab a couple pairs of socks and he let his gaze fall to where Yoongi had been struggling to choose between the two polo shirts. He wandered towards it, finding the one shirt that had been put on the rack backwards and he pulled it free from it’s place. He chuckled when he looked at it, amused by how similar it was to the other one. The only difference he found was that this one had small white polka dots instead of being one solid color. He draped it over his arm and carried the pile to the register where Jamie was finishing up with a customer.

“Looks like he found some things he liked.”

Jamie beamed at Jaebeom, carefully taking the outfits from him and setting them on the counter to ring up. 

“He did. Oh, here. These are for the other two. He’d like to wear them out.”

Jaebeom handed her the loose tags, leaning on the counter idly while she started to scan each tag and bag up the items. He turned slightly when he felt a presence next to him, Yoongi standing awkwardly beside him.

“All set?”

Jaebeom asked, chuckling at the slight nod he got in response. 

“Ooh! Look at him! You look so nice in your new clothes. Did you pick them out yourself or did Mr. Moneybags here choose for you?”

Jamie questioned, her voice high and laced with amusement.

“I picked these. He picked the other ones.”

Yoongi supplied, his cheeks flushing a bit at the praise.

“Good choice. Both of you. I’m glad he has some taste, at least. I can take those, also.”

Jamie reached for the folded pile of clothes in Yoongi’s arms, the ones he had come in wearing. She tucked them neatly in the bag with his new attire. She then turned her attention back to Jaebeom, her eyes scanning his for a moment before she went back to totaling their purchases. 

Yoongi’s eyes went wide when he saw the number, his mouth falling open and he gaped like a fish at Jaebeom. 

“Don’t.”

Jaebeom scolded him before he could even protest, pulling out his credit card and handing it to Jamie. He avoided looking into the icy glare, but could feel it on the side of his neck, causing chills to run down his spine.

“It was only two shirts and pants, why is it so much?”

Yoongi ignored the warning, hands moving to wrap around Jaebeom’s upper arm and he didn’t notice the way Jamie raised a brow in surprise. The two of them were definitely interesting.

“I added some things.”

Jaebeom shrugged, eyes downcast as he signed the receipt and handed it back to Jamie.

“Some things? Jaebeom, what did you-”

“Stop. How do you know they weren’t for me and not for you?”

Jaebeom countered, turning to stare at Yoongi over the rim of his sunglasses.

“Oh.”

Yoongi, released his grip on Jaebeom’s arm, looking down at the floor in embarrassment. He felt like a child, making assumptions and finding out that he was wrong.

“They’re not. For me, that is.”

Jaebeom teased when he saw how sullen Yoongi looked, a soft snort coming from his nose when Yoongi turned to him with wide eyes. He laughed out loud at the annoyed pout on the hybrid’s lips. He was obviously still not used to Jaebeom’s teasing. 

“Come on, let’s go. Thank you, Jamie.”

Jaebeom bowed politely, smiling warmly to his friend, but groaning when she pranced around the counter to pull him into a hug.

“Take good care of this one. I think he likes you.”

Jamie whispered, so that only Jaebeom would hear her words.

“No- That’s not. Jamie!”

Jaebeom spluttered, exasperated by his friend’s antics, and he sighed when she laughed out loud before moving to Yoongi.

“It was very nice to meet you, Yoongi. I hope that you enjoy the rest of your stay with Jaebeom. Don’t be a stranger!”

Jamie held out her hand, waiting for Yoongi to take it, and she unceremoniously pulled him into an awkward hug. 

“Jaebeomie has good intentions, but if you’re not comfortable with something he does, let him know. You’re allowed to say no. He won’t get mad.”

She whispered softly, knowing very well that her friend would likely continue trying to force his good will onto the hybrid. 

She could tell that Yoongi was thankful, but that it was unsettling to him to some degree that he was being forced to accept so much from just one person. He had his pride and she didn’t want their ruin to come because of Jaebeom’s stubborn do-gooder nature. Yoongi was different than the others Jaebeom had brought into the store over the last few years, and the way they interacted was _interesting_ in her opinion. She wanted to see how things played out. Jaebeom had gone long enough refusing to let himself genuinely smile and openly share himself with another since his last relationship failed. She had a feeling that Yoongi might be the one to change that.

“It was nice to meet you, too.”

Yoongi replied, making sure to keep her words to himself and not hint that anything more had been said. He bowed his head to her as she retreated, more customers filing into the store, and he moved to stand next to Jaebeom.

“Where to next?”

\-----

Several hours and multiple shopping bags later, Yoongi felt his stomach turn over and a loud rumble pierced the air. He hissed under his breath, embarrassed at the sound and he turned to see Jaebeom grinning at him dumbly.

“Someone’s hungry I take it.”

Jaebeom's tone was teasing, as always, and he nodded just down the hall from where they stood.

“Food court is just there. We can go get something before we head home, if you like. It’s been a few hours since we had breakfast.”

Yoongi wanted to protest, to tell Jaebeom that he had spent enough money today. Not all of it had been on Yoongi, of course. He had purchased a few items for himself: a new pair of jeans, some underwear, and a ridiculous bucket hat. He had even wandered into an electronics store and picked up a rather expensive, newly released, top of the line gaming mouse for Youngjae. Yoongi had never seen someone spend money so frivolously. Despite his previous owner being a multi-millionaire, he still found unnecessary purchases to be just that, unnecessary. 

Yoongi had never really had his own money to spend, other than small amounts of pocket money his first owner would give him for helping out around the house. He had spent the first few years of his life in an orphanage, a place specifically for those of his kind that didn’t have a home of their own. An elderly woman had lost her husband and her children were too busy too keep here company, so she came to them, looking for a companion. Out of all of the hybrid children there, she had settled on Yoongi. She had been kind to him, but sadly their time together had been short. He was barely a teenager when she passed, his ownership passed on to her eldest grandson. From that point on his life had been very different. 

“Well, come on.”

Jaebeom prodded, turning to walk towards the food court. 

Yoongi thought back to what Jamie had said, about Jaebeom and his overbearing kindness. His mind still wanted to tell him no, that he had done too much already, but his stomach had other plans. He groaned when it rumbled again. He sighed and trailed after Jaebeom, his arms sagging under the weight of all of the bags he carried. They really had purchased a lot of stuff. He followed Jaebeom through a small crowd of people, stepping up into the center of the food court, and he let his eyes wander over the familiar restaurants. 

He had always loved the noodles at the small Chinese restaurant in the corner. The middle aged woman who owned it would often add extra bits of chicken for free when Yoongi’s owner would allow him something from her shop. He pointed towards it when Jaebeom looked at him in question, the bags swaying comically from his thin forearm. 

The two men made their way around spatterings of people, some huddled in small groups, while others stood alone; all trying to make their decisions on what to have for lunch. When they approached the counter, Yoongi was pleased to see the woman he was so fond of standing behind it, a warm smile on her lips.

“Yoongi! Hello, my child. It’s been so long. How have you been?”

Her tone was kind and gentle, her eyes settling on the hybrid and his many bags.

“I’ve been okay, ahjumma. And you?”

Yoongi was careful with his words. He knew the older woman had had her suspicions about his previous owner mistreating him, but had never been able to speak out against him. 

“I’ve been wonderful! I just had my first grandchild last month and things have been hectic, but it’s been lovely.”

She spoke quickly, her smile widening as she spoke of her family, her round eyes disappearing into crescents.

“That’s great. I’m glad to hear everyone is doing well. How’s business?”

Yoongi inquired, noticing that she had only one other person working with her. Typically, in the past, she would have more working and wouldn’t have much time to chat. He feared that her business had started to dwindle.

“Oh. It’s fine. Fine. I just have a worker out with a bad cold. It usually isn’t too crazy on weekday afternoons, so it’s just Xiao and I until dinner time.”

The woman explained, seemingly unbothered by the lack of lunchtime customers. She was correct, though. Despite the amount of people that had wandered into the mall at opening, the crowd at the food court was rather small. 

“And who might this be?”

She added, one eyebrow raised as she let her gaze fall on Jaebeom.   
  
Jaebeom had stood quietly beside Yoongi throughout his chat with the woman, a fond smile on his lips the whole time. He was hungry, but he was more interested in seeing how Yoongi interacted with a familiar face than he was in filling his stomach. The woman seemed to know him from prior to his stay with Jaebeom, and he could sense that she was a bit protective of the hybrid.

“Oh! I’m sorry. I should have introduced you. This is Jaebeom. He’s uh-”

Yoongi trailed off, unsure of how to address him. They hadn’t really spoken about what their status was, and he didn’t want to make assumptions.

“His housemate.”

Jaebeom interjected, reaching out a hand to the woman. 

“Ahh.. So you’re not staying with _that man_ anymore?”

Her tone was suggestive, her upper lip twitching with the thought of him as she shook Jaebeom's hand firmly.

“No. That- That wasn’t working out anymore so I’m staying with Jaebeom now.”

Yoongi supplied, leaving out the details of his abuse and abandonment. He knew that she had an inkling of what was going on, but it was better left unsaid at the current time. He wasn’t ready to share that part of his life with her or Jaebeom just yet.

“I take it that you like it better there?”

She asked cautiously, not wanting to offend Jaebeom, but also hoping that he was in a better place now.

“Oh. Yes. I like it a lot. Jaebeom is very kind. A little _too kind_ sometimes.” Yoongi waved his arms in the air, showcasing the array of bags he was carrying. “But it’s nice. I have my own room with it’s own bathroom attached. I’m still getting used to everything.”

“We had a couple of spare rooms in the house, so when I found out that Yoongi needed a place to stay… we offered.”

Jaebeom smiled, watching the way Yoongi shifted on his feet again.

“We?”

The woman inquired, eyes flitting back and forth between the two men.

“Ah. Youngjae. He’s a hybrid, also. My parents adopted him when I was five. He had just turned two and he’s been with me for twenty years now. He was raised as my brother, not a pet. He was always spoiled as the youngest child, so he’s somewhat of a brat, but we still love him anyway. When I moved out after college, he threw a fit, so I let him move in with me after I was able to afford my own house. It seems that I will likely be stuck with him until I get married. Maybe even longer.”

Jaebeom chuckled as he explained the situation, his head shaking despite the fond tone of his voice. 

“That’s kind of you, to allow them to live in your home, but I think that maybe our Yoongi was right. Maybe you are a little _too kind._”

She chuckled herself, ushering the boys to the window where they could choose their meals so that they could finally get something in their hungry bellies.

“I’ll have the usual.”

Yoongi chirped, hoping that she would remember. He smiled when she repeated back his usual order, not missing a beat. 

“And for you?”

She turned to Jaebeom.

“That actually sounds really good. I think I’ll have the same. Oh, and two large soft drinks, please.”

Jaebeom shuffled the bags on his arms around, reaching for his wallet in his back pocket when a loud _tsk_ stopped him.

“No. No. Not today. You’ve already spent enough on our dear boy here. It’s on the house.”

Jaebeom opened his mouth to argue, but closed his lips immediately when he was shot a glare that he knew meant business. It was the same glare his mother would give Youngjae or himself when they were in trouble or needed to be quiet. He bowed his head politely and slipped the wallet back into his pocket with a sheepish grin.

“Thank you..”

The two men settled at an empty table with their meals, piping hot noodles with a mixture of shrimp, chicken, and an array of steamed vegetables. Each had their own small side of rice, a cup of extra sauce for dipping, and a large soft drink. They were surrounded by a fortress of bags, their faces hidden from anyone who would pass by. They took their time eating, savoring each bite, and Jaebeom was not disappointed in Yoongi’s choice.

“You really know good food.”

Jaebeom praised, taking another bite and chewing it slowly. He swallowed it in one gulp, smacking his lips and taking a large gulp of his soda.

“Mmm. I like eating.”

Yoongi shrugged, twirling some noodles on his chopsticks and stuffing them into his mouth. His cheeks were puffed out like a squirrel’s and Jaebeom couldn’t help but laugh at the sight, receiving a raised brow in response.

“You look like a squirrel.”

Yoongi huffed in response, swallowing his noodles after chewing them properly and he pointed at Jaebeom with his greasy chopsticks.

“You’re one to talk. Do you even chew?”

After a beat of silence, both men burst into a fit of giggles, heads shaking and eyes crinkled at the corners. The rest of their meal was eaten in companionable silence.

\-----

“We’re back!”

Jaebeom shouted from the foyer, hoping that Youngjae was around to help unload everything. He heard a stifled yell come from upstairs, followed by the sound of two pairs of feet stomping down the stairs. He padded into the kitchen, Yoongi close behind and was greeted by a sloppily dressed Youngjae and another male who was similarly disheveled. Jaebeom rolled his eyes, silently thanking god that he hadn’t been home for however many rounds the two of them had gone. He was quite used to seeing Mark at this point, but he would never get used to how loud they were during intercourse.

“Hello Mark.”

Jaebeom nodded to the elder male, tired arms dropping the bags onto the countertop.

“Holy hell, did you buy the entire mall?”

Youngjae teased, stepping up to the counter to peer into the shopping bags.

“If you don’t watch it, I’ll take back all the stuff I bought for you.”

Jaebeom teased back, catching the way Youngjae’s eyes lit up at the prospect of getting gifts from his older brother.

“For meeee?”

Youngjae bounced on the balls of his feet, hands making grabbing motions at Jaebeom.

“Help Yoongi carry his things up to his room, _then_ you can have your stuff.”

Jaebeom gestured towards the hybrid who stood quietly off to the side, still clutching several shopping bags to his chest, while others dangled off of his thin arms.

“Okay~”

Youngjae singsonged, stepping around Jaebeom to help the other hybrid transport his new clothes and bedroom decor the rest of the way to his room. 

Mark followed suit, quietly offering up his arms to carry some of the bags. He smiled when the hybrid handed him some cautiously, a soft chuckle bubbling in his throat.

“Oh! This is Mark, by the way. He’s my boyfriend.”

Youngjae explained, noticing the way Yoongi seemed a bit lost. Jaebeom had greeted Mark, but not properly introduced him.

“Mark, this is Yoongi. He’s staying with us for now. He’s not nearly as crazy as some of the other ones and he cooks, too. I think he’s probably pretty cool.”

Youngjae finished introducing the two of them, laughing when Yoongi blushed at the praise and offered a simple “hello” to Mark, the elder doing the same.

The trio headed up the stairs, Youngjae rambling on about something video game related that only Mark understood and they finally slowed down to ask Yoongi about his trip to the mall. Yoongi told Youngjae about the stores they had visited, the woman who had given them a free lunch, and about how tiring it all was. He wasn’t used to being in the mall during open hours and it was a bit hectic, even for a slow day. As they reached Yoongi’s room, they shuffled in one at a time, dropping his bags on the bed. 

“Thank you for your help.”

Yoongi turned to the other two, smiling and bowing to them politely.

“Ah, don’t worry about it. I would’ve helped even if Jaebeom hadn’t told me to. He really did buy the whole damn mall, didn’t he?”

Youngjae laughed, shaking his head and peeking into one of the bags.

“What all did you guys get? Just clothes?”

Youngjae asked, curious as to what sorts of other things Yoongi would be interested in.

“Clothes mostly, but I got some posters to put on the walls. Jaebeom wants to get some shelves, so I can buy some more CDs and have a place for them, but the mall didn’t really have a good place to buy those. We did get some CDs and books, but other than that not much. Oh, and he got me this phone.”

Yoongi pulled a large cell phone out of his pocket. It was nearly the size of his palm, sleek and black, with a hard case to protect it. It was the latest model and had cost way too much money, but Jaebeom would have none of Yoongi’s arguing. He simply stated that he would need to have a cell phone in case something happened so that he could easily reach them and vice versa. He currently only had two numbers saved, Jaebeom’s and Youngjae’s. 

“What the heeeelllll?”

Youngjae gaped at the phone, reaching to snatch it out of Yoongi’s hand and pouting at the lock screen.

“I wanted this phone and Jaebeom told me to buy it myself.”

“Well, you do have your own money, babe.”

Mark chimed in for the first time since Yoongi and Jaebeom had arrived home. 

“I know, but-”

“Don’t whine, Youngjae.”

Mark scolded him, silencing the younger male with a stern look. 

Yoongi was amused by the way Mark was able to shut Youngjae up with a single look. Jaebeom generally just ignored him until he stopped complaining and Youngjae stormed off in a huff from what he gathered. He laughed a little at the pair, taking his phone back when Youngjae held it out in his direction, and he stuffed it back in his pants pocket.

“Wait! Jaebeomie-hyung said he had stuff for me. Maybe he got me a new phone.”

Youngjae spewed with excitement, bouncing in place again.

“I don’t think it’s a phone, but you’ll probably like it.”

Yoongi supplied, shrugging slightly and following the other two as they headed out the door and back towards the kitchen.

“Hyuuunnnggg, we’re done. What did you get me?”

Youngjae peeled into the kitchen, his socks sliding on the hardwood floor. He came to a stop just before crashing into Jaebeom, who was now seated at the island and scrolling through his phone.

“Hmmm? Did you help Yoongi get his stuff put away?”

Jaebeom asked, one eyebrow raised.

“You didn’t say we had to put it awayyyy.”

Younjgae whined, slumping against Jaebeom’s form.

“Ugh. You’re heavy. I don’t think Mark is working you hard enough.”

Jaebeom snickered, hearing the whine building up again.

“He’s not wrong. You really don’t do anything.”

Mark joined in the teasing, one sharp tooth peeking out from between his lips when he smirked in Jaebeom’s direction. The two older men loved to tease Youngjae when they were together, often harassing him about how lazy he was, in bed, and otherwise. He wasn’t a boring lover by any means, but if he could get away with Mark doing all the work, he would. 

Yoongi stared at the trio in awe, unsure of how to fit into the conversation, and not quite sure if he even wanted to. He stood at the edge of the room, watching the three interact, and he found himself smiling at their antics.

“Aish. What are you doing standing the whole way over there?”

Jaebeom called, looking away from his phone long enough to glance over to Yoongi.

“He probably doesn’t wanna hear you talk about my sex life, you weirdos.”

Youngjae hissed, pushing himself away from Jaebeom to instead lean on the counter.

“Yeah, probably not. He shouldn’t be subjected to this on his second day here.”

Jaebeom agreed, sending Yoongi an apologetic smile.

Yoongi shrugged in response, closing the distance between himself and the other three. He settled himself against the back of the couch, letting it press against the small of his back. He dropped his hands to rest on the fabric, still quietly observing.

“Here. You brat. Take it.”

Jaebeom thrust a bag towards Youngjae, having already separated all of his gifts into one bag. He rolled his eyes when Youngjae let out a triumphant yell, dumping the contents unceremoniously onto the countertop. Jaebeom cringed at the sound of cardboard boxes hitting the cold steel, his eyes narrowed as he slapped Youngjae on the back of the head.

“Be careful with that stuff. It was expensive.”

Jaebeom cautioned, smiling at the way Youngjae squealed and rifled through his new gadgets.

“OH. MY. GOD. Is this the newest Razr gaming mouse? Jaebeom, is it?”

Youngjae turned to Jaebeom with wide eyes, his mouth hanging open like a fish.

Jaebeom simply nodded, a low_ oof_ coming out from between parted lips when Youngjae threw himself at him for a grateful hug.

“Mark. Look!” Youngjae waved the mouse in front of Mark’s face, knowing full well that his boyfriend hadn’t yet picked up the latest model. “I’m definitely gonna beat you on Friday, now.”

Mark chuckled, shaking his head and rolling his eyes at Youngjae’s declaration, his own features shifting slightly.

“It’s gonna take more than a fancy mouse to beat me with your mediocre skills.”

Youngjae gasped at Mark’s reply, his hand moving to clutch at his chest, and he let out and incredulous whine.

“What an unsupportive boyfriend. I can’t believe you have such little faith in me.”

“Maybe if you got good, I’d believe you could beat me. It’s been how many years, and how many times have you beaten me? One?”

Mark snickered, watching the way Youngjae’s face fell, a deep crease forming between his eyebrows and a heavy pout on his lips.

“Oh come here, you big baby.”

Mark waved his hands at Youngjae, urging him into his arms, and he hugged the younger male to his chest.

“We all know that you’re a good gamer, but hyung is the best.”

Youngjae tore himself away from Mark, puffing his cheeks out and spinning back to the countertop to look at the rest of his things. He found a few packs of batteries that would be used for his headset and controllers, a new spill-proof mousepad, since his current one was getting kind of ratty, and a couple of new multiplayer games that Jaebeom thought he could play with Yoongi. 

“Thank you, hyung.”

Youngjae turned to Jaebeom, who hummed in response, eyes focused on the contents of a bag he was searching.

“Ah. Here it is.”

Jaebeom tossed a hoodie in Mark’s direction, the elder catching it with ease. 

“What’s this?”

Mark raised one eyebrow, unfolding the sweater and snorting at the lettering on the front.

“Really, Jaebeom? Did you go out of your way to get this made?”

Mark held up the hoodie for the others to see, bold white blocking spelling out “RAZR ENIGMA” with the team logo and “HELLBUNNYXCIII” underneath it on the otherwise plain black hooded sweater.

“Nope. I actually found it in the shop where I picked up Youngjae’s stuff. Thought you might like it.”

Yoongi blinked in confusion, unsure of what it meant exactly, but he didn’t have to wait long for an explanation.

“Mark is on a professional team for one of the games he plays. Enigma is his team, HellbunnyXCIII is his gamertag. Apparently, the electronics store was selling their gear.”

Youngjae explained, gesturing towards Mark and the hoodie.

Yoongi nodded, finally understanding why Jaebeom had started laughing when he noticed the hoodie and had purchased it.

“Oh yeah! You should come on Friday. Jaebeomie is gonna be at work, so you’d be stuck home alone, anyway. We have a tournament. It’s not the team game Mark plays, but it’s gonna be a bunch of solo players competing for a lot of prize money. The top two competitors right now are me and Mark.”

Youngjae beamed proudly, offering up an invitation to Yoongi to come and see them play. 

“Not like he’ll beat me, but he can dream.”

Mark teased, sending Youngjae a toothy grin when the younger glared at him.

“Yeah, sure. It sounds fun.”

Yoongi had never been to a gaming tournament and he wasn’t much good at games himself, but he had nothing else to do that day. With Jaebeom going back to work in the studio and Youngjae being at the arena, he would likely wind up bored anyway. He agreed easily and smiled when Younjgae whooped happily, letting out a strangled yelp when the younger hybrid crushed him in a hug. 

Friday couldn’t come soon enough.


	3. Go Go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yoongi accompanies Mark and Youngjae to their video game tournament, where he meets a very interesting man. Enter Jackson Wang, Mark's best friend and lovable pain in everyone's side. When faced with the aftermath of a one night stand, Jackson drags Yoongi into a situation that's not quite what he was expecting, but also not as daunting as one skittish hybrid would expect it to be.

Yoongi had arrived at the arena with Youngjae and Mark just an hour earlier. The two gamers had mumbled something to a staff member at the back door, before slipping through it with a wave. He had found himself being whisked away by security moments later, his mind reeling with anxiety, and wondering if he had done something wrong. His panic had truly set in when they descended down a flight of stairs, his wide eyes brimming with tears. He found himself blinking wildly when the man stepped aside at the bottom of the stairs, ushering Yoongi past him and into a lounge after handing him a lanyard with an event badge attached that had “VIP+ Guest 104” scrawled across the back side. 

There had been a few people milling about in the lounge, most of them huddled around tables with a drink in their hand. They were all human, he noted, not entirely dropping his guard. He had wandered deeper into the room, his eyes darting to the source of every movement he sensed out of the corners of them. He hadn’t been entirely sure what he was doing here, or where he was, but he decided to try to relax. He had found his way to the bar, taking a seat on the stool there and glancing at the selection on the back wall. Jaebeom had given him some pocket money before he left for work that morning, insisting that Yoongi needed to at least get something to eat while he was at the arena for the day. He had ordered himself a bottle of beer, his smile awkward as he thanked the bartender when it arrived. 

He had turned in his seat, sipping at his beer while he observed the others. He had noticed that a few new faces had entered, while others had gone. His gaze had shifted when the curtains off to his far right moved, splitting open and a pair of men walked through the opening. Curious, he had slipped from his perch and padded to the curtains, hand lifting to push them apart and peer outside. He had gasped in awe at the sight before him. He was standing at the back of five rows of seats, ten in each, the first of them mere feet from the stage. He had been greeted by an usher, asking to see his badge. He had then been escorted down to the front row of seats, where he was shown to his seat. He had stared at the usher in confusion, his head tilted at an odd angle. He wasn’t sure how he had ended up here when he hadn’t even purchased a pass to the event. Yet, somehow, here he sat in the front row of the VIP section, drinking his beer, and staring like a lunatic at someone who likely wasn’t paid enough to entertain his thoughtless questions.

“Excuse me, but why was I brought here?”

Yoongi asked the usher, hoping he didn’t sound as clueless as he felt.

“Why? You must know someone who’s gaming today, that’s why.”

A voice cut in, cheerful and loud.

The usher bowed to the man politely, her gaze lingering a little too long to be casual, and she blushed when Yoongi cocked an eyebrow in her direction. She mumbled as she stepped away, moving back to her position near the curtains to show the next guests to their seats.

“Jackson, by the way.”

The man held out his hand after seating himself next to Yoongi, a wide smile on his thick lips. 

Yoongi stared at his hand for a moment, assessing it as if it were venomous, before settling his bottle of beer in the cup holder and extending his own hand. Jackson’s handshake was firm, but not overpowering, and the man’s smile was nearly as blinding as Jaebeom’s had been. His skin was tan and he was built extremely well, his muscles visibly peeking through the thin fabric of his tank top. His arms bulged when he moved, dropping Yoongi’s hand to uncap the bottle of water he held.

“Yoongi.”

Yoongi finally managed to get out, his eyes still lingering on the man sitting next to him. He seemed friendly enough, but he was still a human. He was going to be cautious with him, for now.

“What did you mean when you said I’m here because I must know someone who is gaming today?”

“Ah. You’ve never been to one of these before, have you?”

Jackson drawled, his lips glistening with droplets of water now that he had finished taking a long drink. 

“Well, you see this here?”

Jackson held up a badge similar to Yoongi’s, though his had the number “103” written on it.

“This is why you’re here. This is the VIP section. Only people who shell out big bucks get to sit over here. That, or you gotta know somebody. We,” Jackson gestured between himself and Yoongi, “happen to know somebody. You only get a front row seat if you’re a VIP+ Guest. Every other row is only VIP+ or VIP. Guest means that you’re well, a guest, of either one of the people in the competition or a team owner, typically. So who are you friends with that got you up here today?”

Yoongi nodded slowly along with Jackson’s explanation. The whispering between Youngjae and the staff member at the back door, the security bringing him down the stairs, the lounge, and the seat finally began to make sense.

“Ah. Um, Youngjae and Mark. I know them. Oh wait, you might not know their real names. I think Youngjae is “Arsx333” and Mark is..”

“ _ Youngjae and Mark _ ? Really? That’s who got you in? How do you know them?”

Jackson interrupted him, his body turned entirely in his seat to stare at Yoongi with wide eyes. He seemed impressed, and very much interested.

“I live with Youngjae. Mark is, well.. He’s um…”

Yoongi wasn’t sure how to explain their relationship to the stranger. He didn’t know if the two of them were public, and this man seemed to already at least know who they were.

“Youngjae’s boyfriend. I know. I live with Mark.”

Jackson supplied, leaning over into Yoongi’s space a bit.

“How long have you been living with Youngjae? I’d say by the looks of you that Jaebeom is the real reason you’re living there, though.”

Jackson’s eyes glanced up at Yoongi’s twitching ears before settling back on his face.

“Just a couple of days, but yes… Jaebeom. He helped me. They both did.”

Yoongi struggled to find his words, not used to meeting so many new people who weren’t looking for something more than a quick fuck or his owner’s good graces all in such a short period of time. 

“Mmmm. They’re good people.”

Jackson hummed as he settled back into his seat, his eyes focusing on something in the distance.

“Mark has been my best friend since high school. I was really shocked when I heard about him dating Youngjae. The two of them had been rivals for years, always competing for the top spot in local and even national competitions. I really thought he hated him, but it turns out that his frustration was at himself more than Youngjae. He was angry that even though he constantly beat Youngjae, he wasn’t satisfied with it. Youngjae never showed an ounce of emotion when it came to losing to Mark. He always just took it in stride and congratulated him with a smile. That annoyed Mark. He wanted Youngjae to get upset, or show some sort of emotion over losing.”

Jackson explained, taking a deep breath before continuing. 

“Mark has a really bad temper. He can’t stand losing, so it blew his mind that as hard as Youngjae worked, and as much as he improved, but still lost, he never seemed phased by it. So one day his focus was really off. He had pulled an all-nighter practicing for this event and Younjgae was at the top of his game. Mark actually lost that time and was seething, but he had planned on biting back his anger, and congratulating Youngjae just like Youngjae had all those times before when he had lost to Mark. Youngjae it seemed, had other plans. He not only accepted the congratulations, but he went so far as to tease Mark about how it looked like his hyung needed a nap if he wanted to stay at the top. Needless to say, Mark snapped and punched Youngjae right in the face, right on stage, in front of everyone. He damn near got suspended for it, but Youngjae pleaded with them not to suspend him. He wouldn’t feel right taking first place if he didn’t do it by beating Mark.”

Yoongi listened silently, his eyes trailing over the rows of computers set up on the stage before them, the arena slowly getting louder as people filtered in.

“It was at that point that Mark realized that Youngjae never complained because Youngjae respected him, not because he wasn’t upset that he lost. After that the two of them bickered openly, instead of keeping their frustrations to themselves. That turned into a somewhat volatile, but comfortable friendship. Things got really awkward when Mark realized he wanted to dominate Younjgae in the bedroom rather than just in the arena. Those two really took their sweet ass time figuring out their own feelings, but they’ve been together for just under a year now and they couldn’t be happier.”

Jackson finished his story with a fond look on his face, the happiness he felt for his friend obvious. Yoongi could picture it in his head, the two of them bickering and then falling in love. He had seen them bickinger, but he had also seen the sweet side of their relationship even knowing them only for a short time.

“I can see that.”

Yoongi replied, nodding his head in agreement with Jackson’s statement. 

They sat in companionable silence for the next several minutes, eyes roaming around the stage and the other sections surrounding their own. It wasn’t long before music started playing and people started cheering, more and more seats being filled by the minute. The crowd was much larger than Yoongi had expected it to be. The arena had started to thunder with chatter and applause when a fan favorite graced the many wide screens situated around the place. He flattened his ears to his head, sinking low in his seat and grumbled at how noisy the room was. He had overly sensitive ears, even for a hybrid, and the volume at which the fans erupted into cheers was overwhelming. 

“You okay?”

Jackson leaned over the arm of his seat, keeping his distance, but showing his concern.

Yoongi nodded solemnly, mouthing that it was just a bit too loud and the other man laughed, shaking his head.

“Better get used to it. They’re gonna get louder.”

Jackson yelled back, laughing when the other male sank further into his seat.

“I hate this already.”

Yoongi muttered, slumped in his seat and pouting at the stage. Had he known it would be this noisy he would have stayed home. Sure, he would have been alone, but at least it would have been quiet. He sighed and straightened up when the music died down, a man’s booming voice replacing it.

“Welcome to the Second Annual Player Unknown Battleground Solo Battle Royale District Championship. I’m your host Jeon Jeongguk and it’s showtime!”

There was a man, probably close to Youngjae in age standing at the back of the stage. The spotlight shone on him as he spoke. He was not what Yoongi would have expected to see in a host at an event like this. He was much more handsome and much less acne-laden nerd. Seeing him, he wondered what the rest of the players aside from the two he knew looked like. The pair was also pretty handsome, by anyone’s standards, and he was suddenly curious to see the competition.

“Your competitor’s ladies and gentleman!”

Jeongguk’s voice boomed again, pulling Yoongi out of his trance and he let his eyes drag along the line of men that stood side by side on the stage. They each worse a jersey, most sporting the name of what he assumed was a team they represented. He recognized Mark’s team name from the night before, though Youngjae’s simply stated a name he didn’t know. The host walked along the line of players, holding out his microphone as they introduced themselves one by one. 

He was surprised to see that there were several fairly good looking men competing in the tournament. They appeared to range wildly in age, from what looked to be late teens to mid-twenties. His eyes stopped on one particular competitor when he introduced himself as “Jin”, finding himself somewhat fascinated by the man’s beauty. He was good looking, tall and lean, but clearly overly fond of the color pink, if his jersey said anything about him. He chuckled when the man blew a kiss to the audience, winking as he did so.

When Jeongguk arrived at Mark and Youngjae, he hesitated, his eyes sliding from one man to the other.

“It looks like we’ve brought back the biggest rivalry from last year. HELLBUNNYXCIII and Arsx333. You both look well. I hope you brought your A-Game. What strategy have you brought to best your toughest competition this year, Ars?”

Jeongguk held out the microphone to Youngjae, Mark rolling his eyes at his side.

“Well, I’ve been practicing a lot, and HELLYBUNNY is getting a bit old now. His reflexes might be- OW!”

Youngjae shouted, turning to glare at Mark.

Mark was grinning at him widely, sharp canines showing as he reveled in the way Youngjae hissed and rubbed at his side. Mark had pinched the fat still lingering under his arm and twisted.

“Asshole…”

“Baby.”

Jeongguk looked at the two, confusion in his stare as he tried to figure out what was happening. It was well known that they had become friends, often seen bickering and teasing one another. However, it was quite different, seeing it in person, and seeing the fond smile on Mark’s lips as he chided the younger male with coos and baby talk.

“You two seem closer than you were a year ago.” 

“Ah, well, you see. Ars, here and I.”

Mark started, glancing from Jeongguk to Youngjae for confirmation that it was okay to talk about their relationship openly. When he received a shrug in response, he slid one arm around Youngjae’s waist and pulled him against his side.

“Have been dating since just after last year’s tournament.”

Mark grinned, his smile genuine and full of love while Youngjae blushed and buried his face in the side of his neck. He was, indeed, Mark’s baby.

“Oh. Well, that explains it!”

Jeongguk exclaimed, clapping the hand that wasn’t holding the mic down on Mark’s shoulder. He squeezed gently, offering his congratulations.

“It looks like we’ve not only got bragging rights at stake, but a relationship! Well, hopefully you’ll be able to kiss and make up when all is said and done.”

With a wink Jeongguk concluded his harassment of the pair, moving on to the final player and introducing him with just as much flair as he had introduced the others.

Yoongi was completely lost during the tournament, his eyes trying to follow what was happening on the large screen situated above the stage. He could tell that there were some people, and some weapons, and that they were all supposed to be killing each other; but that’s about it. 

There were also a few other people on stage, sitting off to the side at what looked like a wide podium, shouting things into microphones much too quickly for Yoongi to understand. He figured out after a short time that they were talking about things happening in the game, but it still didn’t much help him with knowing what was going on.

Jackson would occasionally lean over into his space and explain things to him when he looked particularly lost, and it was sort of nice to have a  _ friend? _ accompanying him. He felt sort of bad that he wasn’t as enthusiastic as the other people in the arena, loud cheers often ringing out when a players name flashed on the screen for some reason or other. He could, however, feel himself smiling any time Mark or Youngjae’s gamertags flashed on screen, a sense of pride at knowing them filling him.

When the tournament ended the players all lined up for the announcement of who had won. Jackson was rambling about how he couldn’t wait to see the reactions of the couple on stage, often times bickering after each match. The players had no idea of their standings, but the crowd could clearly see the number of points each player had. They were displayed on the screens situated around the arena for the duration of the tournament, but had been replaced with ads for the time being. 

“Are you ready to see your winners?”

Jeongguk asked the crowd, their response thundering through the arena. He gestured to the screen above the stage, the players all turning to watch as the images shifted from some ad for a new computer system to a scoreboard. To no one’s surprise Mark lead with the top score, just four points ahead of Youngjae. Yoongi could see the way Youngjae’s shoulders slumped, before he righted himself, turning to congratulate his boyfriend.

“Wait. Wait, this isn’t the final standing.”

Jeongguk announced, startling not only the players, but the crowd as well. 

“This year, we’ve added a bonus round.”

Jeongguk raised his eyebrows, turning to the crowd. 

“This year, we’ve left it up to our casters here to choose their favorite play of the tournament. Each caster will give us a brief explanation of their favorite play and why. The player who executed it will receive five points. Changkyun?”

Jeongguk turned to the first caster, handing over the spotlight and listening intently as he explained which play he felt was the best. He went into great detail, his voice raising in pitch as he spoke. Of course, his choice was Mark, increasing his lead over Youngjae by nine points. The next caster, a man named Jae, went to great lengths to best the prior caster in why he felt Youngjae had the best play of the game; thus pushing him back into the running for first place.

“Amber? Your thoughts? Will it be Hellbunny? Will it be Ars? Or will it be one of the other players?”

Jeongguk prodded, eyes on the slim woman with short hair and a wide grin.

“Well, Jeongguk. I’m going to have to say that I agree with everything Jae said. I can’t really add much more to it, other than, congratulations Ars!”

The woman shouted into the microphone, causing the arena to erupt into chaos as the scoreboard changed, pushing Youngjae into first place by one point. Yoongi could see the surprise on his face, the tenseness of his shoulders easing away as Mark reached over and squeezed his shoulder. Jeongguk turned to them, smiling.

“So how does it feel to lose for what, the second time ever in your career to your now boyfriend?”

He joked, holding the microphone out towards the pair.

“Well, technically, if we’re going strictly based off of in game scores, I still won.”

Mark supplied, shrugging and then laughing when Youngjae punched him in the shoulder.

“That’s true, but the prize money says otherwise.”

Jeongguk reminded him, receiving a shrug in response.

“We don’t really care as much about the money. It’s more about who gets to harass the other for losing to them until the next tournament. We’re equals in our relationship and the prize money usually ends up being shared evenly between us anyway.”

Mark’s response was casual, one arm draped across Youngjae’s shoulders.

“How do you feel about that, Ars?”

Jeongguk questioned, curious of how Youngjae saw their relationship in and out of competition.

“Well, more often than not, he’s the one doing the harassing. Even though I didn’t beat him based on points acquired in game, I still beat him. I think that making good plays is an important part of the game, not just the kills themselves. Being able to outsmart your enemies and land something like I did today can be really hard, so I’m still proud that I won. Even if it was just based on a single play in the game.”

Youngjae grinned, leaning into Mark’s side comfortably.

“Well, there you have it, folks. A true romantic comedy.”

Jeongguk chuckled and congratulated the pair one last time before moving on to speak with the third place competitor. 

Yoongi zoned out at that point, the noise and abundance of people having taken its toll on him once the adrenaline of seeing his two friends take the top spots wore off. He sank down into his seat, his eyes closed and ears flattened against his head so that the volume of the arena was hushed to a dull hum. He hadn’t noticed when people started to file out around him, most of the seats behind him empty as he sat quietly, hiding in his own little world. It wasn’t until he felt a light tap on his shoulder that he opened his eyes and blinked up at Jackson, who was standing over him with a wide grin on his lips.

“Show’s over kid. You ready to go? I’ll show you the way out.”

Jackson beamed when he spoke, hand held out, waiting for Yoongi to take it. He really did shine more brilliantly than anyone Yoongi had ever seen before. He looked at the hand that was extended towards him for a moment, before strengthening his resolve to stop being so scared of everyone and everything. He took Jackson’s hand in his own, allowing himself to be pulled to his feet and he let out a soft noise as their chests collided.

“Oops. Sorry. I forget my own strength sometimes.”

Jackson laughed, taking a step backwards and dropping Yoongi’ hand.

Yoongi didn’t reply, his eyes on the floor as his heart thumped in his chest and his face flushed red. Jackson’s body was hard, all solid muscle and warm skin, and it hadn’t gone unnoticed. He glanced up at Jackson who was looking at him curiously, a shy smile creeping on to his lips.

“Mark and Youngjae usually buy everyone dinner after a tournament, so I hope you’re hungry.”

Jackson explained, once the pair had started making their way towards the exit. Several people still lingered around the hallway once they had entered the general reception area. He carefully lead the hybrid through the throng of people, slipping out one of the side doors and lead him towards the rear of the building where Yoongi had last seen Mark and Younjgae. He came to stop as they rounded the corner, a member of security standing in his path. The man gave Jackson a once over and then grinned widely, reaching out both arms to pull the smaller man into a hug.    
  


“Jackson! Long time no see man.”

“Yeah, been busy. Missed Mark’s last tournament. I knew this one was important to him, so I made sure to clear my schedule and haul this pretty ass of mine over today.”

The man laughed and rolled his eyes at Jackson’s joke, shaking his head and then raising a brow when he finally noticed Yoongi standing there.

“And who might this be?”

“Ah! He’s a friend of Jaebeom’s, and by default also a friend of Youngjae, and of course, Mark. His name is Yoongi.”

Jackson supplied, smiling and reaching a hand out to Yoongi. He wrapped his slender fingers around his upper arm and pulled him closer, so that the man could get a better look at him.

Yoongi felt uncomfortable under the man’s gaze, his eyes roaming over every inch of his body in assessment. He felt naked, despite being fully clothed, and he kept his eyes straight ahead. 

“I can see why Jaebeom likes him.”

The man chuckled, alluding to Yoongi’s ears and tail. It seemed everyone knew about Jaebeom’s strange interest in collecting cats. Full breed and hybrid alike.

“Yeah, you know how he is. Ah! Mark! Youngjae!”

Jackson suddenly shouted, his hands flailing wildly as he waved down the two men who had just emerged from the back door that they had disappeared into just a few hours before.

The two approached with matching grins, a swagger in their step as they reached the trio.

“Hey, Hyunwoo. Keeping everyone out of trouble? This one is especially rowdy.”

Mark joked, shooting a teasing grin Jackson’s way and earning himself a light slap to the chest.

“I am not rowdy. I just get excited, okay?”

Jackson argued, pouting at the elder man. 

Mark laughed in response, rolling his eyes and shaking his head. He continued to bicker with Jackson, Hyunwoo laughing and adding in a few jabs himself against Jackson’s character.

Yoongi stood quietly beside them, brows knitted together in silent contemplation at the way the men seemed to interact. Youngjae, taking noticed stepped around the noisy trio to stand next to him, bumping their shoulders together.

“Everything okay?”

Youngjae asked, side-eyeing the other hybrid as the other three continued their tirade.

“Hmm? No. I mean, nothing is wrong. I’m fine.”

Yoongi hummed, eyes shifting to fall on Youngjae’s face. He looked genuinely concerned. Yoongi shook his head this time, assuring Youngjae that he was fine.

“I just thought it was curious how they yell and hit each other, but no one gets angry. Kind of like when you and Jaebeom fight, but no one really gets hurt. Someone always got hurt if there was fighting before..”

Yoongi trailed off, his eyes averted to stare at the ground at his feet.

Youngjae lifted a comforting hand to rest on his opposite shoulder, his warm arm wrapped loosely around Yoongi’s back.

“Well, you don’t have to worry about that with us. Sure, we all fight sometimes, and we bicker, but no one ever stays mad for long. If they get mad at all. It’s usually just screwing around, like they are now. Same with Jaebeom and I. We rarely have real disagreements, but if we do, stay in your room. It gets pretty intense sometimes. Jaebeom has one hell of a temper.”

Youngjae started, instantly regretting his last words. He could feel the way Yoongi tensed up, his form going rigid and his tail curling around his left leg. His ears twitched, but hadn’t lain down flat like they did when he was scared, but Youngjae could tell that he had made the other hybrid nervous.

“Ah, don’t worry. It takes a lot to make Jaebeom angry. The last time he got really mad at me was when I was cleaning his shelf and broke the first trophy he ever won for a song he produced. I think he cried more than yelled, but he was definitely more than a little bit upset about it. Just be careful with his things, don’t talk about his ex-girlfriend, don’t eat all the food in the house, and I think you’ll be alright.”

“Ex-girlfriend?”

Yoongi looked up at Youngjae just then, a curious light in his eyes. 

“Ah. Yeah, we don’t talk about her. Not that you were around to have anything to say. It’s just best if you don’t ask about any of his past relationships. He still gets pretty touchy sometimes.”

Youngjae explained, not wanting to have to go into much detail about it. 

It had been a messy break up. One that had left Jaebeom a wreck for much longer than any of the others had. He had poured himself into his work, pumping out song after song nonstop until he collapsed from exhaustion on more than one occasion. Youngjae had more often than not found him asleep in his study, upper body stretched uncomfortably across the top of his desk, papers strewn about, eyes puffy from crying, instead of in his bed. It had been a long, hard winter, dealing with a heart broken Jaebeom. The elder had finally seemed to start healing from the break up in the past few months and Youngjae would do everything in his power to keep from seeing his best friend and brother crumble like that again. 

“I see.” 

Yoongi nodded solemnly, the telling sadness in Youngjae’s eye enough to keep him from asking further questions. If Jaebeom wanted to talk about it someday, then he would listen.

“Are we ready to go or are you two still having a moment?”

Jackson’s voice cut in, eyes falling on the quiet pair. 

Youngjae rolled his eyes, giving Yoongi one final squeeze on the shoulder before dropping his arm. They all bade Hyunwoo farewell and headed towards Mark’s car, where they all piled in. Youngjae took his spot in the front seat next to Mark, leaving Yoongi in the back with a still very chatty Jackson. Yoongi found himself nodding along to most of what Jackson said, laughing when Mark or Youngjae would interject and leave him slack jawed or pouting. They were an interesting group of friends to say the least. He found himself enjoying the banter, rather than shying away from it as he normally would among a group of acquaintances. 

It wasn’t long before the car came to a stop, Mark parking carefully in front of what looked like a local pub. Jackson groaned as he leaned over Yoongi to peer out the window at the blaringly neon “Open” sign in the window.

“Here? Again?”

Jackson grumbled, reaching for the door handle, and shoving it open. He gestured for Yoongi to climb out and then slid out the same side, instead of opting to exit into the street as Mark hard.

“We always come here after a match.”

Mark stated with nonchalance as he made his way around the front end of the car and draped his arm over Youngjae’s shoulders. 

“I know. That’s the problem.”

Jackson whined, knowing it wouldn’t do him any good to fuss at the pair.

“Then go somewhere else. By yourself. We’re fine with just Yoongi. Jaebeom will be coming soon, also. We. Don’t. Need. You.”

Youngjae sang, his pink tongue poking out from between his lips to add further injury to insult.

Yoongi chuckled, flinching when Jackson gaped at him, his body sagging against his own.

“Why is everyone against me? You’ll come with me if I go somewhere else, right Yoongi? Right?”

Jackson pleaded, staring up at the hybrid with his best puppy dog eyes.

“Hmm. Nope. I think I like the sound of fried chicken and beer.”

Yoongi replied after a moment, the thoughtful expression on his face replaced with a smug grin.

“You all hate me!”

Jackson wailed dramatically, turning and dumping himself onto the hood of the car.

“Get off of my car. I just had it waxed, you big baby.”

Mark swatted at Jackson’s ass as he spoke, earning another disgruntled noise from the younger male.

“We’re going in, with or without you. Come on, guys.”

Youngjae wrapped his fingers around Yoongi’s wrist, tugging him and Mark two at a time through the propped open door of the pub. He dragged them past the bartender, who smiled at them knowingly, and plopped down at their usual booth in the corner. Only when the other two had followed suit and sat, did he let go of Yoongi’s wrist.

“Jackson is such a drama queen.”

Youngjae rolled his eyes, reaching for a menu, despite knowing exactly what he wanted.

“Says you.”

Mark snorted, a smirk on his lips when Youngjae shot him a menacing glare.

“I heard that.”

Jackson spat, slumping into the booth next to Yoongi. He turned slightly, giving him a toothy grin, and he picked up a menu himself. 

Yoongi followed suit, lifting one of the laminated menus from their perch on the end of the table, and he let his eyes wander over the different flavors of wings that they had to offer. He hummed at some, while cringed at others, some of the flavors sounding less than appetizing. He scanned the menu for other items, finding it to have mostly traditional western menu items. He read over the burger options, almost swayed from his first choice of chicken, but ultimately deciding to order his regular flavor, plus try a few new ones. 

“What are you thinking of getting?”

Jackson leaned into Yoongi’s space, eyes landing on the menu in front of him, though he had his own to read. He slid one arm around the back of the booth, resting it on top of the wood, fingers just a hair’s breadth away from Yoongi’s neck. Yoongi could feel the warmth radiating off of Jackson and he blinked up at him, almost startled at how close their faces were to one another. He quickly looked back down at the menu, pointing and mumbling out his choices.

“Ah! Those are good. I highly recommend them. I think you’ll like them a lot.”

Jackson beamed, nodding his head in agreement at his last choice.

“Jaebeom really likes the first one. We’ll have to make sure to order extra for when he gets here or he’ll eat all of yours before he even orders his own.”

Youngjae laughed, still poking fun of Jaebeom before he had even arrived. 

“Can I get you guys something to drink?”

A cutely dressed waitress spoke up, standing off the edge of their table. She smiled brightly when Jackson turned his attention on her, eyes lighting up. She leaned on the table a bit, her loose top giving anyone that looked her way an eyeful of cleavage. Youngjae coughed before covering his face with his menu, pretending to choose a drink.

“Soyeon, funny seeing you here. I thought you quit. Or got fired.”

Jackson’s tone was low, eyes not leaving the girl’s face as he spoke.

“Nope. Still here! How could I leave when my favorite customer might come back.”

The girl licked her lips slowly with the tip of her tongue, eyelashes batting as she blinked at him with an oblivious smile.

“Ah, well. I will have a draft, whatever the special is.”

Mark chimed in, forcing the girl to stand upright and scribble his order down onto her pad. She eyed Youngjae who was still hiding behind his menu, snickering a little too loudly.

“I’ll have the same.”

Youngjae finally got out, turning and burying his face in Mark’s neck as soon as he had finished, so that he wouldn’t burst into a fit of giggles.

“Is he okay?”

She tilted her head, eyebrows knitted together as she stared at the pair, Mark’s arm wrapped loosely around Youngjae, fingers rubbing his arm soothingly.

“He’s fine. He just gets cranky when he’s hungry.”

Mark smiled up at her, his pointy canines peeking out from between pink lips.

“Ah. I see. What about you two? The usual for you, Jackson?”

She turned back to Jackson, his upper lip visibly twitching at being addressed by the woman. 

He muttered under his breath, turning to Yoongi and he finally let his hand drop to rest on the back of his neck. Yoongi went rigid at the touch, Jackson’s fingers playing with the long hairs there, causing his skin to prickle. He swallowed as he turned to eye the other man, any protest dead on his tongue as he saw the pleading look in Jackson’s eyes.

“What do you think, baby? The usual? Or should I try something else.”

Jackson cooed, biting down on his lower lip slightly, hoping that Yoongi would play along. 

“I didn’t know you came out that much to have a usual. Is there something you need to tell me, darling?”

Yoongi drawled, eyes glinting as the other blinked at him in surprise. 

“I- No. No. I only come here with Mark and Youngjae. Isn’t that right?”

Jackson turned to the others, eyes wide and teeth returning to digging into his bottom lip.

“How would we know? We hardly ever see you anymore.”

Youngjae shot, more interested in seeing how this would play out if he didn’t just go along with it.

“Mmmm.”

Yoongi hummed, an assessing eyebrow raised as he stared at a flabbergasted Jackson.

“You don’t think I- I would never!”

Jackson sounded genuinely affronted, his mouth agape and his fingers digging into the skin at the back of Yoongi’s neck.

“I would certainly hope not. I’ll have a whiskey, sour, on the rocks.”

Yoongi leaned around Jackson to stare pointedly at the waitress, smirking only when she looked down at her pad to add his order to the list. He could hear the rush of air coming out of Jackson as he turned back to the girl he had called Soyeon, a forced smile on his lips.

“I’ll just have water, as usual. Thank you.”

Jackson bowed his head as she took down his order, her eyes scanning his face for a moment, before she took her leave. Youngjae immediately erupted into a screeching laugh, his eyes disappearing into crescents. Mark crossed his arms over his chest, eyes trained on the two of them.

“What was that all about?”

“You know she’s been after my dick, like forever, man. Just gotta persuade her that I’m not interested.”

“Why not just try telling her you’re not interested?”

Youngjae interjected, no exactly on board with Yoongi being dragged into Jackson’s personal problems after only knowing him for some odd hours.

“You think I haven’t? I only reply to questions about my order, I don’t make eye contact, I don’t reply to her texts.”

Jackson argued his case, fingers still idly twirling the hair on the back of Yoongi’s neck.

“Wait, she has your number?”

Youngjae raised one eyebrow at him accusingly, elbows propping up on the table as he leaned in closer.

“Well-”

“Well, maybe you shouldn’t have let her suck your dick that one time and she would have gotten the hint by now.”

Mark answered for him, rolling his eyes and shaking his head while Younjgae gaped at the older man seated across from him.

“You didn’t.”

“Oh, he did. Right in the fucking kitchen, too. I’m still mad at you for that, by the way.”

Mark kept talking in Jackson’s place.

“How in the hell was I supposed to know you were going to get in a fight with Romeo here and come storming in at one o’clock in the morning. You really think I wanted you to see that, either?”

Jackson countered.

Mark stiffened and leaned forward, reaching one hand across the tabletop to grip Jackson by the collar of his shirt and snarled.

“I swear to God if you ever bring that up again I will torture you, slowly. Then I will kill you, and chop up the body so that no one can even identify you.”

“Okay. Okay, shit. I didn’t think you’d still be touchy about that. It was like months ago.”

Jackson mumbled, one hand moving to smooth out his shirt where Mark had finally uncurled his fingers from it. 

Youngjae curled into Mark’s side, pouting slightly at the reminder of their last big fight. One that had almost been the bitter end of their relationship. He didn’t want to think about it now, not when he was out with his friends, not that he wanted to think about it ever. That was something best left in the past and forgotten.

“Sorry. Oh fuck, here she comes.”

Jackson breathed an apology, immediately changing the subject and turning towards Yoongi when he saw the waitress returning with their drinks. He leaned in close, his forehead nearly touching Yoongi’s as he moved his lips, acting like was saying something just for Yoongi to hear; but no sound came out. He stared at the others face silently, his eyes trailing over the soft features. He had round, dark eyes. The depth of them was almost suffocating. His nose was small and cute. His lips were a soft pink and slightly chapped. He could see the way his throat bobbed as he stared back at Jackson, a hint of confusion in his gaze, but he stayed silent through the contact. 

The drinks were sat on the table, Soyeon eyeing the pair as she wiped her hands on her apron, the mugs having spilled a little beer on them. She took out her pen and pad again, turning to face Mark and Youngjae when Jaebeom suddenly appeared beside her. He leaned on the booth, turned slightly away from the quiet pair, and seemingly not noticing them yet.

“Looks like I’m just in time for food. So which one of you two won today? Mark as usual?”

Jaebeom teased, a small smirk on his lips.

“No, actually. Youngjae won.”

Mark offered, Youngjae sitting stock still he kept his gaze straight ahead, wondering how long it would take Jaebeom to notice the other two.

“Wow, really? That’s amazing Youngjae, isn’t that great, Yoongi?”

Jaebeom finally turned his attention to the other side of the table, having gone without noticing how close the pair at his side had been until this very moment.

“What? Oh. It was loud, but I had fun.”

Yoongi had finally been pulled out of his staring contest with Jackson, his mouth suddenly going dry. He sank back into the corner of the booth, creating a small space between Jackson and himself. He couldn’t bring himself to look at Jaebeom at the moment and quickly grabbed a menu to hide his flushed cheeks.

“I’ll come back in a few minutes.”

Soyeon offered, bowing slightly as she made her way back towards the bar.

Jaebeom nodded to her politely, his eyes falling back on the pair across from Mark and Younjgae, features etched with confusion and something akin to annoyance. Jackson had settled himself back into his seat, both arms draped along the back of the booth. He glanced up at Jaebeom, a wry grin on his lips, and he nodded at the empty space beside him.

“Why don’t you have a seat, Jaebeom?”

“Why don’t you explain to me exactly what’s going on here?”

Jaebeom shot back, unable to hide his irritation.

“Well, as you can see, it appears that we have a new couple in our midst.”

Youngjae supplied, wanting to see how far he could drag it out before Jaebeom snapped.

“A what?”

Jaebeom replied dumbly, expression going blank. He blinked at Youngjae as if he didn’t quite understand.

“A. New. Couple.”

Jackson repeated for him, the smirk never leaving his lips. His fingers found their way back onto Yoongi’s neck, this time sliding across the skin slowly; leaving a trail of fire in their wake instead of tangling in his hair. The hybrid tensed at the sensation, fingernails scraping across his skin as Jackson rubbed at it lightly. It wasn’t an unpleasant feeling. It was just  _ awkward _ . He had just met the man earlier that day and he was already pretending to be a couple to ward off unwanted advances towards the man. Yet, he wondered who would fend off Jackson’s advances for him, if he did indeed become uncomfortable.

“I heard him, I just. Yoongi, is that true? Are you dating Jackson?”

Jaebeom’s voice was thin, the words difficult to get out as he tried to wrap his head around the concept that Yoongi would get that close to someone that quickly. It felt like a lie, but his eyes were seeing something entirely different than his mind was telling him. 

Yoongi startled at the question, his big eyes peering out over the top of the menu. He swallowed thickly before shaking his head, unable to form words in his current state of confusion. He didn’t hate Jackson touching him, but he also didn’t hate it when Jaebeom touched him either. It did, however, bother him to be seen being touched by someone else by Jaebeom. Whatever the reason was, he hadn’t quite yet figured it out.

“No?”

Jaebeom’s question was soft, as were his eyes.

“You don’t have to hide it from me, Yoongi. We’re friends, aren’t we? I can see that you two are-”

“Not dating.”

Yoongi cut him off, his words finally coming to him in what felt like a panic. 

He hated the way that Jaebeom looked at him just now, as if he was the one caught doing something strange. As if he were the one with the spotlight shone one him and being made uncomfortable with the whole situation. He reached one hand up to push away Jackson’s, immediately missing the warmth of his fingertips on his skin. He cleared his throat and put the menu down, eyes finally locking with Jaebeom’s.

“We were just.. Pretending.”

Yoongi explained, nodding in the direction of the waitress. She was perched on a stool at the bar, elbows leaned back onto the bartop with her hands on her hips as she watched the group with a much too interested expression on her face. Jaebeom glanced back at her, finally understand what was actually going on, and he rolled his eyes.

“Oh. Okay, this-”

Jaebeom gestured between Jackson and Yoongi.

“Makes so much more sense now. I hadn’t realized it was Soyeon waiting on us because she was oddly quiet when I got here. She’s usually much chattier. I take it she tried hitting on you again?”

Jaebeom rolled his eyes as he took up the space next to Jackson, causing the other to shift a little closer to Yoongi to give him more room.

“When isn’t she?”

Jackson groaned, letting his arms drop down at this sides finally.

“Yoongi was just nice enough to help out and give her the impression that I’m not available.”

Jackson explained, grinning and turning to face Yoongi.

“Thanks for that by the way. Oh and-”

Jackson thanked the hybrid before leaning in to mumble something into his ear, the rest of his sentence a mystery to the other three.

Yoongi blushed in response, ears twitching noticeably. He sank into his seat, the menu once again moving to cover his face. He stayed that way, despite the raised eyebrows and stares from the others, Jaebeom’s particularly bothersome, until Soyeon returned to take their food order. He listened quietly as the others placed their orders, lowering the menu and pointing to three different styles of wings as he read them off to her; ordering half a dozen of each. 

“Wooooww. Are you really gonna eat that much?”

Youngjae asked, recalling that Yoongi hadn’t asked for a second helping at dinner the night before, though there had been plenty left. He wasn’t sure if the other hybrid was being polite or just didn’t have a large appetite. It seemed the former was most likely the case. 

Yoongi shrugged, alluding to the fact that they had claimed Jaebeom would likely eat more than his weight in wings and if he were unable to finish them he could just hand them off to the other. He could feel Jaebeom’s eyes on him still, his own avoiding his gaze as he settled back against the seat. He sat so that he was sure that most of his face was hidden by Jackson’s frame now that he didn’t have the menu to shield himself anymore. 

“So tell me about the tournament. How in the hell did Youngjae beat you?”

Jaebeom finally turned his attention away from the pair at his side and gave the other two a chance to preen in their victory.

“Technically, I won. However, they added bonus points this time for what they thought was the best play of the event. Younjgae won two out of three votes and beat me by a measly one point.”

Mark grumbled, squeezing Youngjae into his side a bit more roughly than necessary.

“A win is a win, Mark-hyung.”

Youngjae grinned up at him from his spot, one hand squeezing Mark’s thigh.

“Well, I can’t say that I’m surprised. Not by how he won or that you took second. The pair of you always take the top two spots.”

Jaebeom chuckled as he finished, letting out a yawn and shifting to rest more comfortably in his seat. He let his head fall back against the booth, eyes closing as he let the stress of the work day roll off of his body, and just enjoying the company of his friends. 

It wasn’t long before their food arrived, hot and messy as it always was, and there was a loud chorus of cheers from five hungry men. They ate slowly, savoring the many different flavors of wings they had each ordered. All except for Jackson, who had chosen to order a wrap instead of fried chicken. Jaebeom, true to Youngjae’s word ate more than his own share of wings, easily fitting the last four of Yoongi’s into his stomach. They all sat in the afterglow of their dinner, quietly digesting and sipping at their third round of drinks when Soyeon interrupted to give them the check. 

She extended it to Mark, only to have it snatched out of her hand by Youngjae, eyes going wide in shock.

“He won today.”

Mark explained, rolling his eyes again as Youngjae grinned at her triumphantly and handed the bill back along with a wad of cash he had pulled out of his pocket. They had always tipped generously, none of them hurting for money, and he had prepared the amount beforehand; the bill dangerously close to his estimate after adding Yoongi to the equation.

“Oh! Well, congratulations.”

Soyeon smiled with her words, accepting the cash and leaving them to their wiles.

“I suppose we should get heading out. Jackson, you can take my car back to ours. I’m gonna ride with Jaebeom and stay at theirs tonight.”

Mark stretched as he spoke, tilting his neck from side to side to crack it. He patted Youngjae on the thigh, urging him to move, and then followed him out of the booth. He stood at the end of it as the other three gathered their bearings and their things. After a moment they finally got into gear and slipped out of the booth themselves. They all trudged through the pub, bellies full of food and some full of alcohol. They waved their goodbyes to the Soyeon and the rest of the wait staff, before spilling onto the sidewalk. 

“You can sit in the front, this time.”

Youngjae told Yoongi as they neared the spot where Jaebeom had parked his car. 

He planned to sit in the back, where he could cuddle with Mark on the short ride home. He stopped when they reached the car, waiting for Jaebeom to unlock it, and he tugged the back door open. He waited for Mark to slide in first, following suit a moment later, eyes on Jackson who had been lingering a few feet behind them despite being parked much closer to the pub.

“Yoongi.”

Jackson called out to the hybrid as soon as the other two had disappeared into the vehicle.

“Yeah?”

Yoongi replied, a questioning look in his eyes as Jackson neared.

“So.. I had fun today. Talking with you and all. I was wondering if maybe you’d wanna get together again some time and hang out?”

Jackson rubbed at the back of his neck, his skin heating up and his eyes darting to look at the ground instead directly in the hybrid’s eyes.

“I-”

Yoongi felt himself feeling embarrassed at the way Jackson was acting, unsure if he meant as a group or just the two of them.

“I mean, we don’t have to.. with just the two of us. It can be a group thing if you want, but it would be nice to hang out with just you, I think.”

Jackson swallowed, his usual confidence suddenly gone in the presence of the hybrid. 

Yoongi could feel the tension radiating off of Jackson, and he had enjoyed his company during the tournament. He hadn’t even been bothered by how touchy the other had been, which surprised him more than the fact that the other was so overly friendly with someone he had just met. He hummed softly, thinking back on the day, back on the way that Jackson had seemed to radiate with confidence and warmth in front of his eyes. He wanted to see that again, but right now Jackson seemed unsure, and somewhat fragile. It was an interesting contrast to his earlier antics, and Yoongi wondered what else Jackson had to offer.

“Sure. We can hang out.”

Yoongi gave a nonchalant shrug, smiling when Jackson finally met his gaze with an almost charming dumbstruck expression.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Ok. Um, give me your phone. You have a phone, right?”

Jackson questioned.

“Oh. Yeah, hold on.”

Yoongi pulled the phone out from his back pocket, almost forgetting about it himself until Jackson mentioned it, and he handed it off to the other male. He waited quietly as Jackson punched in his number, adding his name into his contacts as “Sseunie” with two heart emojis after it. He rolled his eyes when he looked at it, one eyebrow raising in question at the strange nickname.

“It’s what my friends call me.”

Jackson shrugged, smiling softly at Yoongi.

“Ah.”

“I meant what I said though, inside the pub.”

Jackson spoke again, his earlier confidence coming back.

“You really do have pretty eyes.”

Yoongi felt himself flush all over again, his face burning the whole way to his hairline. He grumbled a thanks, teeth digging into his lower lip, and he averted his gaze.

“I’ll text you later, yeah?”

Jackson asked, grinning when the hybrid looked back up at him.

“Yeah. Okay.”

Yoongi replied, nodding his head before wishing Jackson farewell, and turning to take his place in the passenger seat of the car. He was in a slight daze, unsure if what had transpired between himself and Jackson was real or if he was having a fever dream. He felt hot all over, yet his hair was standing on end, and he found himself smiling dumbly at the ground for no reason at all.

“You ready to go?”

Jaebeom’s voice cut through his whimsy, dark eyes trained on him from where he stood with the driver’s side door propped open.

“Ah, yes. Sorry.”

Yoongi apologized and quickly made his way to the car, opening the door, and slipping inside. He sat in silence as he waited for Jaebeom to climb inside, the door closing with a loud “thump”, and the engine turning over when Jaebeom turned the key. Music began thumping from the speakers almost immediately, leaving the four to their own thoughts. Despite saying nothing on the entire ride home, something had started to simmer in the pit of Jaebeom’s stomach. It was a feeling that he wasn’t quite fond of.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not sure how many chapters this will be, but I decided it needed to be multiple when I hit 10k words on their first day. DX I wrote this for my friend, who requested it literally back in December. I am just now getting around to working on it. I'm sorry, I love youuuuu~ 
> 
> Also, come yell about kpop with me on Twitter. @ahgasemyname


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